Chapter 16

~Time Skip-2 Years~

-Hinata's POV-

Sasuke and I covertly glanced at one another as the waiter left after refilling everyone's wine glasses. Prestige was at a celebratory dinner in honor of Sakura. She'd won one of the most coveted awards an idol could hope for: the Ace Award. Historically, it's only ever been given to performers who excel in everything they do, whether singing, dancing, rapping, acting, or whatever else they're tasked with.

At twenty-one years old, Sakura's the youngest to ever win it, Tenten being the previous record holder at twenty-three. Usually, the recipients are in their thirties or older and have built themselves a long-lasting career.

Our pink-haired friend didn't know that her cute, shy boyfriend would propose at some point before we left this five-star restaurant. He'd reserved the entire building and had the staff sign NDAs, so no one would leak to the public that they were in a relationship lest they face serious legal repercussions.

Ino and I helped the redhead pick out the ring, a gorgeous piece designed so the band reassembled vines that led to delicate little flowers dawning pink sapphires. Finally, a big circular-cut diamond lay in the center. It'll suit the young woman perfectly. We'd be hard-pressed to find a better fit.

Sakura sipped her wine, smiling happily when she met my eye by chance. She'd grown her hair out again, though it came to her shoulder blades rather than the small of her back. I grinned back, tilting my head with a warm face. I've never been good at keeping exciting secrets like this for long.

"You're gonna give it away, Hyuuga," Sasuke muttered, barely moving his lips so our friends couldn't read them.

I responded similarly, "I can't help it, Uchiha."

Tenten, Neji, Ino, Sai, Sakura's mother and new step-father, Konan, and the Akatsuki guys are also here, waiting with baited breaths for the big moment to happen. My cousin surprised us all, especially me and Tenten, by proposing on their second anniversary. A classy, princess-cut ring shined beautifully on her finger.

The couple had already set their wedding date for December thirty-first of this year, less than two months away. As a result, if us women had spare time, it was spent helping the pop star plan the event. They plan on announcing their relationship to the public after the wedding.

Ino and Sai, on the other hand, weren't dating as of now. The blonde wouldn't even tell Sakura why they broke up, but it must've been something profound for her to break things off because she was utterly smitten just days before breaking the news to everyone. That said, the pair were mature enough to be around one another and at least act like friends for the sake of everyone else.

Konan and Yahiko eloped before their first anniversary, taking the public and all their friends by surprise. When I thought about it, though, they've been close for over a decade, and neither seems the type to buy into extravagant events like a celebrity wedding, so I'm just happy they finally get to be together.

You're probably wondering how that happened when Evolution has a rule against relationships between those signed to the label. After the big ordeal with my arranged marriage, Kakashi and the other higher-ups had a huge meeting where they ultimately decided to rid of the stipulation. The CEO now lets his stars choose if they want to go public if and when they date.

Prestige, naturally, let out a collective sigh of relief, but soon after, Sakura and Gaara were photographed hugging after a performance. The public did not react well at all. Both were flamed. Gaara's fans were angry at Sakura for "trying to steal him away for herself", and Sakura's were angry at Gaara for the same reason.

It took months for the rumor to go away.

Since then, the four of us agreed to keep things quiet for the sake of our careers.

Some day, maybe idol culture will change. Personally, I struggle not to feel betrayed by our own fans sometimes. Each of them means the world to me, of course, because I wouldn't be living my life-long dream if not for them. The problem is that they're too possessive.

Whether it's wrong or not, I find myself sometimes thinking, "If they really want us to be happy, why can't they accept that we've found love? We're human beings, not dolls, for their manipulation."

Prestige isn't the only group to suffer because of this, either. Almost all idol groups have to pretend to be single for the length of their careers.

Suddenly, silence fell over the room, tearing me from my depressing thoughts. I frantically reached for Sasuke's hand under the table in an effort to hide my overwhelming excitement. He snickered, interlacing our fingers while we watched Gaara grab Sakura's hand, guiding her to stand.

This is really happening! My best friends are going to get engaged!

"I'm a little nervous because I've been trying to figure out what to say for weeks, but nothing feels good enough."

A glint of realization hit Sakura's eyes, and she brought her free hand to her lips, searching the redhead's face as though trying to confirm what she thought was happening, was.

Gaara, with a bright red face, continued while cutely stumbling over his words, "I've known since before we began dating that you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, no matter the cost. You're the most…. I'm so proud of you. I-I know my life wouldn't be nearly as bright without you."

Tears delicately slipped down his girlfriend's cheeks as her suspicion was confirmed.

The redheaded man knelt, finally releasing her hand so he could reach into his pocket and pull out the ring box. Opening it, he nervously asked the question every woman yearns to hear in her life, "Will you please give me the privilege of calling you my wife?"

Sakura didn't wait a single second to respond. Crying childishly, she threw her arms around Gaara, kneeling to his level, "Yes! A thousand times, yes!"

Then all the women, me included, were in tears, as was Gaara as he pulled back so he could remove the ring from its holder and slip it onto his fiancee's trembling finger. She looked at it briefly before laughing softly, kissing and hugging him.

Everyone stood and clapped for the couple, the restaurant staff coming out of the kitchen to join. I was unable to remove the smile on my face as I looked over everyone else. Ino was hugging Mikoto, Sakura's mom, and both were pretty much sobbing.

I stumbled when I turned to look at Neji and Tenten, only for the brunette girl to tackle me in a hug, "Hina, my babies are growing so fast!"

Later that night, Sasuke and I were corralling the drunken other half of Prestige into the house. We'd promised to care for them so they could adequately celebrate their engagement. After nearly ten minutes of fighting, the Uchiha man gave up and simply threw the redhead over his shoulder, cursing under his breath, "He's heavier than he looks, damn it." I glared jealously as he passed me and entered their room to toss Gaara onto the bed.

"Hinaaaa~ I'm engaged!" Sakura slurred, giggling drunkenly as she hugged me tightly.

A smile tugged at my lips as I failed to get her to move from just inside the front door to their room, "I know. I'm so happy for you!"

"Ha! You and Sasuke should get engaged, too, so we can all get drunk together!"

My smile disappeared, my brow furrowing. Of course, I want to marry the Uchiha man. I'm head over heels, stupid in love with him.

"Don't go putting weird thoughts in her head, Sakura. C'mon." The pink-haired woman was pulled from my arms. Sasuke had picked her up and turned to take her to the bed without a glance in my direction.

I watched his back as he walked away. Is the concept of us getting married a weird concept for him? Over the past two years, we've only thrived both as friends and as a couple. Sure, we've had little spats like any couple, but nothing even close to serious.

Sighing, I took my shoes off by the door before climbing the stairs to our bedroom. Just as Gaara and Sakura had, we turned Sasuke's old room into ours and used my old one for storage.

It hurt to hear him say that if I'm being honest. He's gotten pretty good at not putting his foot in his mouth like he used to, but occasionally, he slips up. Is this one of those times where he didn't think twice before speaking, or did he truly mean those words?

In the bathroom, I pulled my hair over my shoulder, leaning slightly forward to look in the mirror as I took off my earrings.

Unsurprisingly, Sasuke entered through the open door and stood behind me, absently running his hands from my waist to my hips, "You tired?" Dark eyes suddenly lifted from where he was pressing against me to meet mine in the mirror.

Blushing, I nodded, "A little."

A sleek brow lifted, and his gaze dropped again. It didn't come as a surprise when he grabbed the zipper on the back of my dress and slowly unzipped it, brushing his fingers against the small of my back. Sasuke's impatient, as usual. He guided me to straighten my spine and slipped a hand beneath my dress to grasp my breast, an unhappy sound rumbling through his chest when I tried to pull away.

"At least let me take my jewelry off."

He hummed, kissing the back of my neck as he removed his hands from my body, instead moving my hair out of the way and carefully removing my other earring. Hot breath dusted my skin when he said, "You're angry."

Long fingers sat the piece of jewelry on the counter before moving to unclasp the chain of my necklace, the locket he'd bought me so long ago.

"No, I'm not. It's just been a long day, is all."

The locket was carefully placed on the counter, then the man slowly moved the straps of my dress off my shoulders, "Is it because of what I said downstairs?" The clothing slid down until he let it fall to the floor around my feet, hands helping themselves to explore my bare skin.

Heat pooled between my legs at the shameless way he was attempting to seduce me. I felt my resolve crumbling but closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to see the dark look on his handsome face and turned my face away from the mirror.

"I-It'd be childish to let something like that bother me."

It's true. There's nothing to worry about with Sasuke, and I know that. Maybe our best friends getting engaged, or the two glasses of wine I'd had with dinner made me feel envious. On a typical day, I'd understand that everything happens when the time's right.

My eyes shot open in surprise when the man suddenly gripped my jaw and forced me to look straight at the mirror, into the reflection of his eyes. His other hand slipped beneath my underwear, teasing me with unyielding expertise, "Don't pout like this if you aren't going to be honest, Hyuuga."

A shiver ran up my spine as his fingers sent a wave of pleasure up my lower abdomen, my face warming, "I'm not pouting…."

"Hmm…."

The hand touching me so sensually disappeared, Sasuke pulling back slightly without releasing my jaw so he could look down and undo his pants. When I felt his sex press against me, my back naturally arched, and my lips tugged further downward. Without words, he slipped my underwear down my legs just enough that they'd be out of the way.

Then, he met my eye, teasingly rubbing himself up and down against my entrance, "You sure about that?"

I nodded, holding my breath as I waited for him to thrust in.

A smirk met his lips as he shook his head and released his hold on my jaw to bend me forward over the counter, a hand on my shoulder as he looked down again, "You're an awful liar."

The air in my lungs dissipated as he finally pressed himself inside, grabbing my hip to keep me still. My hands slid when he began moving, so my elbows hit the counter, and I allowed my head to fall to hide my red face. It felt incredible, as it always does, but Sasuke was punishing me for not being honest, so his movements were slower than usual, the angle and pressure almost too much to handle.

It was silent between us for a while, both of us refusing to yield. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing me moan because it felt like I'd be admitting defeat.

"Are you being more stubborn than usual, so I'll pamper you?" I couldn't bring myself to respond, lifting my head to see the man's jaw flex in annoyance. He tilted his head, "You are, aren't you?"

I denied it, but he ignored that.

Frowning, he released my shoulder and grabbed both of my hips, suddenly changing his tactic. The steady pace became much more erratic, and his gentle hold on my body became almost rough.

A tiny cry of surprise passed my lips, and I lifted up to press my hands to the counter. My breathing picked up as it became impossible to completely remain quiet, though I still tried.

Apparently, Sasuke was feeling irritated tonight because he soon wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to stand in front of him. One of his hands slid my bra up so my breasts were no longer covered, grabbing and holding one. The other firmly grabbed my jaw like he had earlier, only this time, he forced two fingers past my lips.

That was what did it. That move tore down my last wall of defense, and I was then a heated mess in the Uchiha man's arms. One of my hands grasped his forearm, and the other reached between my legs to massage the sensitive bundle of nerves there, coming ever closer to climax.

"If you bite me, I'll bite back," he threatened, lowering his lips to my shoulder, a glare in his gorgeous eyes.

Naturally, I did just that, though not hard enough that it'd actually hurt his hand. He moaned softly, biting my shoulder surprisingly hard. If he did it any harder, he'd draw blood. Why that threw me over the edge, I don't know, but it did. The hand between my legs reached back into his hair, the other holding his forearm for dear life as my legs gave out.

The fingers in my mouth disappeared. Instead, Sasuke's arm wrapped around my waist to keep me upright and against him. Almost immediately after that, he also climaxed, leaving us standing there, panting for breath and staring at one another in the mirror.

Sasuke had been quite rough, which wasn't entirely out of the ordinary because we sometimes got like that, but, as always, he did a complete one-eighty once the deed was done and became sweet and doting to make up for it.

He pressed his lips softly into the discolored skin of my shoulder, closing his eyes as he removed his hold on my breast to brush my hair out of my face so I wouldn't get overheated. "Shower or bed?"

I responded softly, a little embarrassed at having just had sex in the mirror. We've done it in here a few times, but I've never faced the counter before. This was a first. "Bed, please. Let's shower in the morning."

A low, affirming sound vibrated against my back. The man easily picked me up, carrying me out to the room. When he lay me down, he climbed over me, reaching under to unclasp my bra and toss it away. Sasuke kissed me with a hand on my thigh so he could manipulate his way between my legs.

I thought we would go to sleep but should've known better. It's rare for him to be one-and-done. Honestly, I can't complain. Who would?

Soon, we were back at it, and Sasuke's mouth left mine. He met my eye and refused to let me look away. I remember being shocked that the Uchiha man liked eye contact like this. It seems incredibly out of character, but seeing that I have his full attention turns me on in its own way. This was way more intimate and sincere than in the bathroom. That fact, plus my confusion about his earlier words, had tears brimming in my eyes.

Sasuke slowed, kissing me once, "Hina…."

I closed my eyes, hands on his shoulders, "I-I'm sorry. I'm alright."

"...I didn't mean it how you think." I met his gaze again and saw that he felt guilty for teasing me like he has since we returned home instead of reassuring me right off the bat. "I don't want you to compare us to them."

I nodded, wiping at my tears before the tears could fall but didn't feel completely better about things.

Sasuke seemed to understand that and added, albeit hesitantly and with a rare, almost bashful tone, "You know I love you. It's not that I don't want to marry you; I just feel like the timing's not right after what happened with the fans. I'm surprised Gaara went ahead and proposed."

My brow furrowed, "So, you're hesitating because you're worried about what the public will say?"

He sighed, shaking his head with a glare, "That's not what I meant, and you know it. What I'm saying is I'm trying to look at things realistically. Our careers are great now, but I can't say for sure that they'd survive something like that. Maybe a few years from now, things will be different."

He paused, gaze softening with his voice, "Do you understand what I'm saying? We should stay like this for a while longer. You haven't done anything wrong, okay?"

Inwardly, I was disappointed beyond belief, but I nodded anyway because disregarding Sasuke's feelings would be unfair. If he wants to wait until our careers are less at risk of being ruined, I should respect that. This is a partnership, after all. Everything's not about me. It's about both of us.

My initial argument was that we've been dating this long, and there's not much difference between us dating and being engaged, but then that'd raise the question of why getting engaged means so much to me if it's so close to what we already are.

So, I swallowed my inner turmoil and forced a calmer expression, "I-I understand. Thank you for telling me."

Sasuke kissed me, slowly deepening it until we returned to how we were before our short conversation. I squeezed my eyes closed.

Just a few more years, is what he said.

Then, we won't have to hide anymore.