The Folly of Flaunting

College makes you come back and edit the small details in fics.

Enjoy!

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"Pardon me," Hinata excused herself.

The timid young woman stood from the table as the other guests exchanged glances—but Sasuke didn't notice.

He didn't notice Sakura's diverted sigh, Kiba's over done groan, Ino's small smirk, Choji and Shikamaru's slouched shoulders, Shino's grunt, or the prominent blushes on both Lee and Tenten's faces. He may have decided to ignore the prolonged, yet, subtle gaze Naruto shot her. It was a feat of his own he did not sense the annoyance radiating from the Hyuuga's cousin—he was sitting next to him, after all.

No, Sasuke was far too focused on the delicate blush spreading over the heiress' cheeks as she intentionally avoided the glance of...someone. He couldn't be sure who because she swiftly exited the family diner the group stopped to eat at this fine evening. Despite all that he miss, the Uchiha was pretty observant because he knew this has been happening a lot lately, but it was also because this was happening a lot that he was a bit irritated he did not know the significance of this.

The process wasn't done, though.

Once Hinata excused herself, a minute or two later, another person would excuse himself.

So, Sasuke would wait.

He looked out the large window to his left to catch a glimpse of the Hyuuga walking by and giving a fleeting glance at...someone. Maybe he knew who.

"Well," Naruto yawned, stretching his arms and opening his mouth more than he needed, "it's getting late."

"Really," Shikamaru mused, though no amusement was apparent on his face. "The sun just went down. What's the rush?"

There were muffled giggles amongst the group. Neji was not among them.

"Must be the change in weather," Naruto shrugged, standing from the table. "I can't help how my body works."

"No," Shikamaru agreed. "I suppose you can't."

At this, most at the table would have loudly expressed their humor, but the remaining Byakugan user was dripping with killing intent.

"It'd do you well to go straight home, Naruto," Neji warned.

"Uh...right." Naruto averted his gaze and excused himself.

Sasuke was too preoccupied watching his teammate leave to take note of the grins and uncomfortable shifting going on at the table.

Hinata...then Naruto.

Sometimes it was Naruto then Hinata, but that was rare.

The point was, they were always leaving around the same time and headed in the same directions. It didn't make sense because the probability was against the both of them for it all to be a coincidence. He would have asked anyone else about it, but there were two things wrong with that: Sasuke Uchiha didn't admit to being clueless. Yes, everyone around him seemed to know what was going on, but no one seemed to know he didn't know.

The second reason was...complicated.

He didn't know how it would look if he inquired about them because... Well, because...

"Where are you going, Sasuke?" Sakura asked when he stood up.

"Early morning," he replied. "Pay for me."

"Ah. O-okay."

It wasn't a total lie. Since he returned to the village—and the whole war was taken care of—he has been under surveillance.

He was, anyway.

He wasn't allowed to leave the village, so there was only so much his vigilant overseers could stop him from doing. He hadn't done anything since being back, so, no, he wasn't being followed anymore. All he had to do for the next two years was report to the Hokage every morning and be evaluated. The motivation behind it was logical enough, but if the elders in charge actually thought they could detect treason in him before it happened, then they were sadly mistaken. If he really wanted to turn against them again, there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Still, he made sure to show up every morning just so no one would get suspicious and follow him again; he was reminded just how much he valued his privacy.

But now he was curious because Hinata and Naruto were always leaving and...well, they interested him.

Naruto had always sparked interests of sorts—whether it originated from annoyance, puzzlement, or rage. He and the blond were similar, but the idiot was always smiling and always had something to fight for. It never made much sense, and now Naruto...was normal.

No, he was still a pain in Sasuke's side, but he was accepted by the village, which was hard for the Uchiha to actually wrap his mind around.

There was even a rumor that Naruto was a candidate for being the next Hokage and that...didn't make any sense. He hated to think this change in Naruto had anything to do with him because he didn't want to help him. There was nothing wrong with having a healthy dose of dread in a person's life, so why did Naruto fix all that?

Hinata, on the other hand...was an interest that happened after he returned.

She was a very unexpected interest.

A very pleasant interest.

He remembered her as shy, reserved, and unnoticeable. She was still definitely shy and reserved, but she was not unnoticeable, and maybe the heiress gained a slimmer of confidence over the years because, when he became a resident of Konoha again, she never coward away from his gaze like most everyone else. In some sense, she was bold to stare him head on when their eyes met.

It made him feel things.

Sasuke knew when his body was aroused (a phenomenon that admittedly didn't happen often), but he never knew what it was like to be sexually attracted to someone until these recently.

In some cases, it was distracting.

So, to put it simply, when two very interesting people start acting weird simultaneously, Sasuke couldn't help but want to see what one or the other was up to. And if he caught up to one and had a chance to do...stuff, maybe he could catch the other in time to do more...stuff. The activities would be very different, but it was safe to say both had an equal chance of getting a pounding.

Not that he thought about doing stuff with them.

o0o0o

Sasuke walked around in the clouded moonlight for the better part of fifteen minutes. He had no clue where either one of them could have gone, and there was no sign where one of them had been. It was all becoming very frustrating, but then a peculiar sound caught his attention. He was walking by the path leading to the Training Grounds when a muffled whimper was heard farther down the path. The Uchiha curiously scanned the area. For some reason, he wasn't allowed to go to the Training Grounds by himself, but...

...who was going to stop him?

He walked down the path quietly, hands in his pockets, and listened. A few paces in, there was definite breathing off to the left. He didn't know how curious he was to venture off the course—mainly because it was a great deal of work for something that could very well be an animal—but the clouds parted and shed some moonlight into his view.

Sasuke froze, his mind blanking.

When there was no light, it was impossible to see them, but now he could clearly see Naruto and Hinata. That is, he could see...Hinata's legs wrapped around Naruto's waist as he held her against a tree and thrust into her like a madman. Hinata's pants lie in a heap next to them; Naruto's pants were huddled at his ankles. Both ninjas had their jackets lowered in the creases of their elbows; both ninjas' appearances were disheveled. The intensity of it all had the Uchiha questioning whether or not he should intervene, but it became apparent Hinata was enjoying this in her...reserved kind of way.

"Naruto...fast...too...quick..." Hinata's words were practically inaudible from where Sasuke stood.

"Couldn't wait." His comrade smirked devilishly, apologetically. "We'll take it to my place after this."

She gripped onto his shoulders. "...Neji...will look...soon..."

"But you're almost there, Hinata." He gripped her hips, firmly pinning her still, and commenced a series of thrusts that shook the leaves.

Hinata's back arched, head thrown back in silent screams, and one hand continued to dig into his shoulder as the other gripped his wrist.

Naruto huffed repeatedly, eyes fixated on the expressions of the girl he was ruthlessly shoving into. "You're so quiet...when we're outside."

Sasuke turned on his heel and walked back the way he came.

He felt like he stayed much longer than he should have, but...

What was that?

Since when was that a thing? What happened to Naruto liking Sakura? What happened to...to...order? Or logic? People like them didn't...do things like that. Naruto was supposed to be so lost in his goals and idiotic whims that any physical yearning went unnoticed. Hinata...just didn't do those things.

Not with him.

Not like that.

He didn't know she was capable of being treated so roughly...

He stopped at the end of the path. He could feel his body getting worked up, and he didn't like to move when that happened, but he was also feeling something else entirely.

Hinata and Naruto...

Naruto and Hinata...

Did this mean they were dating? Was this just a fling that happened sometimes? Have they been doing that whenever they left?

The thought made his chest tighten—his body became agitated.

He started walking again.

He had to keep moving.

It didn't concern him.

A Period of Time Later

It was Wednesday night and Sasuke...was going mad with boredom.

The sorry excuse for ninjas in charge of watching him had all been deployed on missions, so the former rogue was not allowed to leave his apartment (unless it was directly to the Hokage's office) until they returned. This happened every now and again, so he knew they were serious when they told him not to leave. He didn't know how they found out when he decided to chance this claim—maybe the villagers were informed of his house arrest—but he was sure to be cornered by ANBU before he could even have a decent stroll outside his apartment.

Things would be different if Sakura, Naruto, or who-the-hell-ever came by and invited him out—he was allowed some freedom if he was accompanied by any of his fellow ninja—but, again, it was Wednesday night.

No one did anything on Wednesday nights.

And that's what made Sasuke so pathetic at times like these because he didn't even like to be around any of them, but he'd jump at the chance to get out of his damned apartment. There was nothing to do except just...live. There was no point in just living if there was nothing to do, and he hated it.

The Uchiha stalked around his apartment, getting familiar with the furniture and appliances that were long since engraved into his mind. It was only eight o'clock, but going to bed was the only appealing option. He had already taken an hour long shower, and now there was just...

"Sleep," he grumbled to himself, staring at the almost barren contents of his refrigerator. He needed to buy food soon, but shopping became a laborious task when shop owners and customers alike forget how to function when faced with his presence. He had gotten away with just walking out of establishments with the items he needed, but that was later labeled as 'stealing' by that drunkard of a Hokage. So, one day, he'd go out and waste hours buying from owners who fumbled and stuttered just because Sasuke Uchiha was in killing distance of them.

Sasuke left his tiny kitchen area, shuffled through his adequately sized living room, and was almost in the door way of his slightly spacious bedroom when the doorbell rang, followed by erratic banging. The Uchiha stood silently, staring at his bed, annoyed. He was almost firmly decided on sleeping, so who would dare come and ruin his practically changed mindset? Who would dare come disturb him when it was already so dark outside? Furthermore, who the hell would insistently bang on his door and molest the bell, at that?

Pretending not to hear it crossed his mind, but that was soon shot down by the continuous noise flooding into his home. He cursed under his breath and stormed to the door, swiftly undoing the locks, and flung it open. Staring back at him were two pairs of eyes; two clouded pairs of eyes—one blue, one white.

"Hey!" Naruto greeted, voice clearly not biased to the night. "Whaddya doin' up, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked between Naruto, swaying on his feet, and Hinata, who was tucked under Naruto's arm. She was also slightly swaying, and she was looking at the Uchiha with that unafraid stare of hers. "What are you doing here?" he asked both of them.

"No! No, you," Naruto jabbed a finger at Sasuke's chest, "you should be like, 'Oh, hi, guys! Come on in!' Don't be so ru-" he hiccuped, "rude!"

Sasuke clicked his tongue under his teeth, trying to find that calm reverie that always evaded him. This idiot was clearly drunk, probably Hinata as well, but he wasn't concerned about that. He didn't care. He just wanted them gone. "What. Are you. Doing here?" he repeated.

"Home, Sasuke!" Naruto bellowed. "We're, we are going home, but then- then, when we wanted to stop by you on the way."

"On the way? Your apartment is five minutes in the other direction. This is not on the way."

"Juss let hus in," Naruto slurred.

"No."

"C'mon! We came all this way."

"Not my problem."

"Look, you. You look at this." He poked Hinata's cheek, glaring at Sasuke. "You wanna cry this face? Huh, you filthy bastard? You can't- no. Don't you no this face."

This was ridiculous.

This was just his luck.

Out of all days Naruto could have gotten drunk, he chose today. Out of all the apartments to stumble upon, he stumbled here. Out of all the times to pester him, he had to do it right now. What the hell were the two of them doing anyway? Since when did they drink?

"Uchiha-san."

Sasuke's eyes snapped to the girl under Naruto's arm. She was giving him that look again—that unashamed, soul piercing look. Her eyes were definitely clouded but nowhere near as clouded as the loud mouth. She held his gaze, thick lashes hovering over far too innocent eyes. It was baffling how her escapades could retain such purity within her.

"May we come in?"

And it was because of those words from that girl that Sasuke found himself in this position right now.

He let them in, and he regretted it.

Naruto immediately shouted his satisfaction and went straight to raiding Sasuke's food storages. He gorged himself on anything he could find, which wasn't much, and Sasuke watched, arms crossed.

Hinata, on the other hand, took to openly inspecting the Uchiha's home. She walked around Naruto in the kitchen and gawked at all the appliances. She walked into the living room and examined every object and crevice. She then walked down the hall leading to the bedroom, to which a light turned on, and Sasuke didn't know whether or not he had just about had it with the two.

"Ne, Sasuke," Naruto called, diverting Sasuke's attention. He was seated on the counter with a bag of chips (which Sasuke didn't know he had) in his hands. "You're outta food."

Sasuke closed his eyes, breathing evenly, though his heart was pounding with the adrenaline to kill. These impulses got easier to overcome as years passed. "Go home."

Naruto stared at him, shoving chips into his mouth. "I'm more outta food than you are."

"Then take Hinata home."

"You kiddin'? They'd kill me."

Sasuke grunted. He assumed 'they' referred to the members of the Hyuuga clan.

"They like me, sure," Naruto continued, staring into the bag as he ate. "They can't say I'm no hero. Not anymore." He grinned, something ominous beneath his drunken visage. "But if they knew what I do to her when she's not under their watch, they'd probably hate me again."

Sasuke internally flinched. He was talking about Hinata, obviously, and it knotted the Uchiha's stomach, tensing his muscles, conjuring up images in unwelcome flashes.

Naruto looked at him, his grin dimmed. "You a virgin?"

Sasuke stared back at him.

"Probably not, right? It's you, after all." He looked back into the bag and swirled it around. "That's okay, Sasuke. I bet you never had someone like Hinata." He chuckled to himself. "I feel bad for you."

Sasuke found himself scratching his own arm. The idiot sounded so smug—like fucking an heiress was a big deal. Sasuke wasn't jealous—definitely not because of him—but he absolutely resented this attitude that not only Naruto in this moment, but the entire village seemed to give him. The ninjas pitied how he wasn't allowed on missions and confined to the life of a normal person. The villagers feared him, true, but they pitied that his freedom was far more limited than theirs. Then there was Naruto, in this very moment, who jokingly pitied him simply because he wasn't sticking it in the Hyuuga from time to time.

This whole damn village enjoyed grating on his nerves.

"Ah..."

The two looked toward the hallway to find Hinata standing with something in her hands. She looked around before spotting Naruto.

"I found a picture." She walked over to him. As she passed, Sasuke saw that his katana was sticking out from the side of her pants.

"No way!" Naruto exclaimed, now grinning at the framed picture in his hands. "The original Team 7 in all its glory!"

Sasuke twitched. How did she find that picture? He had forgotten where he hid it, so why the hell was she going through his stuff? And why did she put his katana in her pants?

"You look so mean." Hinata pointed at the picture.

Naruto laughed. "Good times," he sighed. Hinata looked at him. He looked back, trying to understand her expression. "What?" He looked back at the picture then her. "Did you like me then, too?"

"I don't know." She turned her back to him, crossing her arms.

"Hey," he cooed, "I didn't know."

"I know," she murmured.

"Don't be mad." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in between his legs. "You were so quiet then."

"I'm the same."

"No." He nuzzled her neck. "You're not quiet anymore."

She blushed, trying to maintain her composure. "Sasuke's still in the room," she mumbled.

Naruto turned his head, one blue eye peering at the Uchiha from under blond bangs. And it was there again. That undeserved...superiority. "Maybe he likes it," Naruto whispered in her ear. Hinata shied from the contact. "Ah? So, you get nervous in front of people?"

"Naruto..."

At this, Sasuke turned and walked to his bedroom. He didn't know what to do with them. He didn't know why he let them still be here, but he didn't have to be around them, at least.

"No one's looking now," Naruto muttered, followed by heated breaths and shifting of bodies.

Sasuke stood in his bedroom doorway and looked inside. Hinata had been in here, but the only proof he could provide was that the light was on. He sighed, deciding to walk across the narrow hall into the bathroom. He flicked on the light and turned on the faucet, proceeding to place his hands on the sink and stare at the rushing water.

Wednesday nights were supposed to be uneventful. He was supposed to be in bed while he reflected on this crappy life. Again, he asked himself what happened to order. He splashed cold water on his face; he never had to clear his mind in such a way. The two in his kitchen...just shouldn't be here.

As Sasuke brought more water to his face, he became aware of a presence in the doorway. He lifted his head and peered into the mirror. Of course, Naruto was there.

"What?" the older of the two demanded.

"I need to use your shower."

Sasuke glared. "Go. Home."

Naruto squinted his eyes. "You're not using it."

"It's my shower."

"I heard you don't even have to pay for this place."

"Get out."

"Make me."

Sasuke continued to glare at him through the mirror before he straightened his posture and turned off the water. The Uchiha stared into the sink and started counting down from one hundred. He grabbed a small towel hanging from the wall and pressed his face into it.

Could he afford killing Naruto? Could he afford being violent with anybody? The worst the village could do as a punishment would be to kill him, which was fine because he wouldn't have to deal with this mundane life ever again. But then...that would mean the village would win. He was already winning by just being here and keeping everyone on edge. He's put himself through too much to just waste it now.

Eighty-three... Eighty-two... Eighty-one...

"Make it quick." Sasuke pushed past him and slammed the door shut. He just had to get through tonight. Maybe thirty more minutes, if that. He walked to his room and stopped, banging his head against the frame. He forgot about the other one.

Hinata was seated near the head of his bed with her legs crossed (his katana now placed against the wall). Apparently, she was polite enough to take off her shoes, but didn't have the common sense to not make herself comfortable on another person's bed.

"Get off," Sasuke demanded.

"I can't." Her voice was calm—firm, even.

"Get. Off."

She shook her head. "Naruto told me to wait here."

"You always listen to what he tells you?"

"I do what makes him happy."

"How is sitting on my bed going to make him happy?"

She swayed a bit. "He could have told me to wait in the living room, but he didn't. There must be something about this spot that he likes."

"He's drunk. He doesn't know what he likes."

"You missed three years of his life. How do you know what he likes?"

That tone...

That tone was awfully pompous.

Was this the kind of person she really was or was this the effect of whatever she drank? He didn't know, but it was...amusing. She thought she, of all people, could win against him?

"You're right," Sasuke agreed, pushing off the frame, tossing his towel on the dresser. "I wouldn't know." He sat on the foot of his bed. Hinata stiffened, but her composure remained.

"You don't care," she stated.

"I don't," he agreed again.

The shower turned on, and Hinata seemed rattled by that. The change in her eyes suggested that was the ground breaking proof she needed to realize she was alone with the Uchiha.

"You're dating an idiot, you know."

Her gaze sharpened. "He is not. He is very resourceful and very...powerful."

"I bet."

She stared at him uneasily, the will to challenge him fading. Instead, it was replaced with disheartening realization, one of which he couldn't understand. Hinata looked at her legs, biting the corner of her lip. "Why'd you come back?"

"I didn't."

"Why'd you stay?"

"Do you care?"

"No," she admitted. "But...it makes him happy."

He said nothing.

"You...make him happy," she whispered. She shook her head slightly, bringing her hand to wipe her eyes. "And now you're back."

"Does that bother you?" he mused.

She looked at him, barely lifting her head. As he already knew, tears were welling in her eyes. "I think... Sometimes I think the only reason he pursued me was because...you left...and I reminded him of you."

Sasuke cocked a brow as she choked down a sob, averting her gaze again. He didn't know where this was coming from, but he was a bit curious now.

"At first," she began shakily, "I almost wanted to thank you b-because it was because of our similarities that made him want to...to be with me. But now...now I see I can't compare. I'm just...a filler. I'm just taking a place you can't fill, but I still can't be you. I can't... I'm just...me." She broke down, bringing her hands to her eyes as she cried. "I'm just me."

He watched passively, not intending to do anything. All this time, he thought he was looking at a tough side to Hinata no one ever saw, but here she was bawling like a baby. She's been holding this petty stuff in and probably let Naruto do as he pleased with her just to keep him happy, as she phrased it.

Maybe...that made her strong, in a way.

She was with him even though she thought he was seeing someone else every time they were together, and that had to take some amount of (stupid) strength. He was pretty damn sure Naruto wasn't imagining him every time he pounded into the Hyuuga, nor did he think Naruto saw Hinata as a female version of him. He did, however, understand how she could fill a void in his life, but she was looking at it all wrong. She was putting herself in a very vulnerable position by thinking this way.

He could use that.

He didn't know he wanted or needed a reason to use against her, but, well, it wasn't his fault he was interested in her either. The way he saw it, Hinata led him to this each time she held his gaze. She coaxed his eye to wander in her direction each time she snuck off with Naruto at inconvenient times. Naruto practically bragged about her to him, and everyone knew to not brag about something of value if it wasn't intended to be shared.

"You're right, Hinata." Sasuke's voice was low. "I mean, he was in love with Sakura for years, right? The only other person he clings desperately to is me, and, well, you don't have what it takes to be Sakura, and there's no way you can be me." He paused, noticing how her tears increased. "Ah. So, I guess your time with him is limited."

The tears came faster, the sobbing silent but frequent. He smirked to himself, getting closer to her while she wasn't looking. He leaned towards her, lips parting, curving upwards.

"I can teach you," he whispered.

She gasped, realizing their proximity and tried scooting away from him. "What are you talking about?"

"What do you think I'm talking about?"

She stared at him, shaking.

"He really is an idiot," she was about to protest until Sasuke added, "for leaving someone like me alone with someone like you."

The look in her eye told him she was thinking bad thoughts—thoughts that involved him doing bad things to her. What, exactly, could she be thinking? Something along the lines of murder because the big bad Sasuke was a notorious criminal? Or maybe sadistic torture because the infamous Uchiha was a sociopath? Or, perhaps, she thought he'd abuse her sexually because she was sweet, little Hinata who was alone with the sick bastard known as Sasuke Uchiha.

He mused the notion that he could combine all three.

Naruto was too drunk off his ass to properly defend himself from any of the fatal attacks the Uchiha had honed over the years, and Hinata was a bit too unsure of herself to find the will to stop any skewed perversion Sasuke could inflict on her. If she witnessed the death of Naruto and felt the true strength of the raven-haired boy through one forceful punch...well, this could turn out to be a fun night, after all.

But Sasuke simply didn't want to do any of that.

The presence of the two shinobi in his apartment made him appreciate all the times loneliness made him want to split his head open.

Hinata inhaled sharply, "Sasuke!"

The Uchiha blinked slowly, focusing on her, and noticed his hand was on the girl's inner thigh. Judging by the way her hands were clasped over his, and the way she was panting, his hand hadn't intended to stop there. It was...very interesting. He smirked. "You act like this is new to you."

Her face reddened, body shaking. "I-I-I'm N-Naruto's-"

"Play thing. You told me already."

She shook her head, her composure gone. "H-he wouldn't l-l-like this. I wouldn't like th-this."

"You've foolishly convinced yourself Naruto is the only one who can please you. How can you be sure about what you don't like?"

Hinata squeaked, trying to push Sasuke's firmly planted hand away. "I don't...like this." When Sasuke's hand wouldn't move, she tried backing away again. "This makes me very...uncomfortable."

Sasuke almost laughed at her discomfort. Maybe he could spare some time to make this night interesting.

"Huh?"

The two dark-haired teens turned towards the doorway. Naruto stood there with a towel (the bath towel Sasuke had been using these last few days) wrapped around his hips. Sasuke irritably noted Naruto didn't even attempt to properly dry himself and was dripping water all over his floor. If it was still there when Sakura stopped by, then she'd clean it. Sakura...really liked to clean his apartment.

Naruto stared at the two on the bed, trying to register their positions in his mind. "What...?" His face scrunched in confusion. His head tilted to the side, hitting against the frame. "You guys...are...?"

"Naruto," Hinata whispered, voice quivering, "this isn't... I wasn't..."

To both Hinata and Sasuke's surprise, Naruto grinned, eyes squinting in an almost eerie way.

"Wow," the blond laughed. "I thought I was dreaming for a moment."

Sasuke clicked his tongue, still not bothering to change his questionable distance from the heiress. "You dream about us doing stuff like this?"

Naruto laughed, clearly still intoxicated. "Is that wrong?"

Sasuke's eyes widened.

Hinata's body stiffened.

Naruto was not fazed by the silence he just caused. He was not slightly troubled by what he just said—by his...implication. The Uchiha was inclined to think his former teammate was rambling in his inebriated state, but now he was...looking at them. The more time passed, the more his eyes became hazy, the more his lips settled into a lustful smirk, the more...his whole disposition looked like he was staring at the most alluring scene he's ever stumbled upon.

It made Sasuke...close to becoming nauseous.

Naruto walked to Sasuke's dresser and began looking through the drawers. This made Sasuke's annoyance rise again. He took his hand off Hinata and turned towards the blond.

"Naruto," Hinata said quickly, "y-you didn't mean it, did you?"

Naruto pulled a pair of Sasuke's sweatpants from the drawer. "Mean what?"

"Th-that you...you think of me and...and Uchiha-san...in that way."

"Oh." He pulled his towel off and began changing. "I think of you guys in a lot of ways."

"Wh...what?"

He turned towards them, observing the two. "You both are...kind of similar, you know?" Naruto pushed himself off the dresser and walked to sit next to his shaken girlfriend. "Looks aside, you're both very important to me—very close to my heart. I can't say when the thoughts started...but..." He grinned, slipping into his mind. "The thought of you guys going at it...does things to me."

"You get off on thoughts of me screwing your girlfriend?" Sasuke asked, slightly disgusted.

The blue-eyed ninja looked at him pleasantly. "I wouldn't phrase it like that, but you get it."

"Naruto!" Hinata gasped, betrayed—mortified. "But I... I thought... Are you saying you...y-you want me to be with...with him?"

"Of course not, Hinata." He stroked her face, genuinely hurt. "Absolutely not. You're the best thing to ever happen to me. I'd never want to lose you."

"S-so...?"

He shrugged, a bit bashful. "Sometimes I felt like...there was something keeping us from closer—something I didn't understand. But I understood Sasuke, and in some ways you were like him. There were times when I thought I could never understand you, so I started thinking how he would handle you whenever I felt like I wasn't doing well enough. When we first...ya know, I wondered how Sasuke would do it—how cool I needed to be or how much eagerness to show—and... Damn." He shook his head, grinning. "There would be so much chemistry between you guys. When we do it, it's intense and mind-numbing because we feel the longing and need after all these years. With you and Sasuke, it'd be crazy good because you'd be filling holes and heartache only you guys can understand."

Sasuke only mildly paid attention as Naruto went on and on. He didn't particularly like drunk people because they talked and did things more than usual. A drunk Naruto definitely was not something he enjoyed.

Sasuke's head throbbed. He's usually asleep by now. In a few hours, he would have woken up because his surroundings were far too foreign for him to actually be comfortable. Which...he didn't feel right now. He looked up to find the pair staring at him, expectant.

His eyebrows came down a fraction, annoyed. "What?"

"What's your answer?" Naruto asked.

"To what?"

Naruto sighed, smiling as he swayed backwards. "You thought about sleeping with her?"

"Sleep with her?" He tilted his head at Hinata. "You mean have sex with her?" He rolled his eyes and stood up. "Go home, the both of you."

"Come on, Sasuke!" Naruto called after him. "You're not curious?"

"Curious? Yeah, because your leftovers fascinate me so damn much, Naruto."

"What are you afraid of, huh?"

He scoffed, walking out the room. "Yeah. I'm fucking petrified."

He was fucking annoyed. There were many things wrong with tonight, and, while he knew there was no way to fully get through to a drunk person, and this probably wasn't how Naruto normally acted with her, he was extremely bothered by what Naruto was suggesting—by how it could make his passing interest permanent. He couldn't and didn't want her—if those two were dating then it was fine by him.

He didn't need a reason to do something stupid.

Hinata was Naruto's girlfriend, so Naruto should be the only one to have sex with her; he should not try to whore her out to some other guy because of some sick, perverted fantasy. And then Hinata was just as much at fault than her idiot boy-toy because she wasn't that drunk, if at all. She was so taken in with that idiot and so devoted to making him happy that, if Sasuke was anybody else, she would be getting plowed. Again, he didn't care, but it was Hinata—Little Miss. Naive.

"Naruto, wait!"

There was a bit of commotion and then Sasuke heard his window slam open.

What was this now? A lovers quarrel?

He sighed. Was this all happening as some delayed punishment for leaving the village?

No.

No, this was punishment for being back in this damned village.

He walked into his room to find Hinata crouched on the floor beneath his window, crying uncontrollably. With the window being open, and no Naruto to be seen, it was obvious he left. With...Sasuke's pants.

"Great," he groaned. He walked over to Hinata and sat on the edge of his bed, staring, slightly put off. What the hell was he supposed to do? Why the hell didn't she jump out the window as well?

"Uh... Um..." Hinata tried to calm herself once she noticed the Uchiha was close by. "N-Naruto... Um, h-h-he-"

"Left you. I gathered that."

"N-n-no, he just... H-he just..." She huddled into herself, crying harder.

Sasuke groaned, leaning on his arm. Was she always this sensitive or did drinking make her so? "Okay," he sighed. "Get up."

Hinata looked up. "H-huh?"

"Stand. Hurry." She blinked before climbing to her feet. She stared at him, confused by his behavior. He stared at the wall to his side for a few silent seconds before turning back to her. "See? You stopped crying."

She didn't fully understand.

"Feels dumb to stand and cry, doesn't it?"

She cracked a smile, rubbing her eyes and making noises he interpreted as laughing. "I'm...sorry," she finally said.

"Mm." He paused, waiting. "So...he's coming back for you, right?"

"Um..." She glanced out the window. "I don't...think so."

"Ah." He sighed, getting to his feet. "Okay, let's go."

"G-go?"

"I'm taking you home," he said, already walking out the door. "Come on."

"U-Uchiha-san!" she called, stumbling after him. "W-wait, Uchiha-san!"

"Who?" Sasuke stopped in the hall, turning toward the Hyuuga and pulling her towards him by her hair. "Uchiha-san, Uchiha-san. It's Sasuke."

"Ah... Y-yes, but we-"

"Sasuke," he stated. "You've said it once, so continue it." He released her, giving her a once over. She only faintly smelled of alcohol, but those close to her would surely notice the subtle oddities caused by her intoxication. "Come on," he sighed.

The two left the apartment and began the trek to the Hyuuga household. It was silent and even Sasuke felt a bit out of place. He shouldn't be doing this. She wasn't his problem, but making her walk home alone wasn't something he wanted to keep him up at night. The village was probably safe for a person like her, but the village was still in the realm of the real world, and this world was anything but safe—for anyone.

"Um," Hinata mumbled, "I...I didn't mean to make it sound like...y-you don't belong here. This is...just as much-"

"I don't have a home," Sasuke said, not bothering to look at her. "This place—this village—has caused me nothing but grief, so don't make it sound like I want to be here."

"But...you have people who love you here."

"What, you mean Naruto? Sakura? Kakashi?" He shook his head, smiling irritably. "They're not worth being here." He paused, frowning. "About Naruto."

She crossed her arms tight, looking at the ground. "I don't want to talk about it."

"No." He paused again. "He's not like that."

She looked at him apprehensively. "Like what?"

"All that stuff he said... He's not... That's not him."

She tensed, feeling spiteful. "You care?"

"No." Pause. "Just-"

"I know," she mumbled. "I know what he's like. He's very kind...and very honorable... That's why... That's why it..." She shook her head, sighing shakily. "I need to sleep tonight off."

No words were said, and Sasuke felt jittery to end on that note. He really wanted to defend Naruto, he did, but why did it feel more like insurance than something he just so happened to decide? Why did it feel like he needed her to not see Naruto any different—like he was doing this all for himself? What was happening with him?

"So..."

He looked at her.

"About what you said... About being back here, that is." She looked at him. "Wh-what's...keeping you here?"

He turned away, mulling the thought over. "Good question, Hyuuga."

The silence settled again, pulling each of them into their own thoughts. One started a life evaluation. One started a countdown.

"It's...Hinata," she said, letting her voice mix with the night air.