Chapter 32

-Hinata's POV-

By the time Sakura and I stepped out of the bathroom, the excitement of the ball had picked up by a longshot. It was likely due to the steady flow of alcohol and the DJ slowly beginning to add faster music into the song-mix.

The moment we stepped out into the hallway, it became clear that the speakers had been turned up to their maximum volume. Almost everyone was out on the dance floor leaving a few stragglers to remain seated. Sakura clutched my hand in hers more tightly as she guided us to the table, only for us to arrive and find it completely empty. No one was there.

We shared a worried look before turning our gazes onto the bustling crowd of celebrities. I joined in her searching and caught just a glimpse of familiar blood red hair in the middle of the dance floor. She immediately followed my lead when I began heading in Gaara's direction. It took a few minutes since we had to dip and dodge drunk dancers, but we eventually made it to him only to freeze in shock.

Our bandmate was dancing with a brunette woman and they were, um, heatedly making out. Gaara's back was turned, so he didn't notice us and Sakura and I shared a surprised look before wordlessly agreeing we should back off. It was rare to hear the redhead talk about romance or sex since he's so reserved so it was hard to believe our eyes. We'd even begun to think maybe he hadn't had his first kiss yet, but boy had we apparently been wrong. There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in the way he was kissing that girl out there. He seemed confident.

Before I could turn to give our friend some space, someone touched the bare skin of my lower back and I jumped in fear, only to bring a hand to my heart when I turned to see it was Sasuke. My surprise quickly faded when Sakura grabbed his wrist and began pulling both him and me back to the table.

The moment we sat down, our waiter brought new drinks and we accepted them, albeit hesitantly. Hidan was still sitting up at the bar, where the man had come from.

"What's up with you two?"

I wanted to glare at him and tell him it was none of his business after he was a jerk to me earlier, but couldn't bring myself to be angry. Instead, I was just hurt by his mean words. Sakura quickly filled him in like she had me in the bathroom and then he sat back in his seat with an even angrier expression than before.

His voice was almost scary as he complained under his breath, "I wish shit like this would quit fucking happening."

The Uchiha was in such a foul mood today. My gaze shot down to my trembling hands when he glanced my way after noticing my staring. His sudden angry outbursts were making me uncomfortable and I didn't know what to do or say.

Sakura did, though, "Amen to that!"

We sat in silence for a while and sipped our drinks. There wasn't even a slight salty taste to the drinks, meaning they more than likely didn't have any unwanted substances in them. About ten minutes passed before the pink-haired woman on my left perked up, "Oh, I see Sasori! I'll be right back." Sasuke and I couldn't get a word out before she rushed into the crowd toward her boyfriend so she could confront him for lying to her.

I swirled the drink in my glass around and awkwardly tried not to glance in the Uchiha man's direction, but felt him glance in my direction. The alcohol was starting to hit me just slightly and I could tell my anxious jitters were soon going to fade. He didn't look away and I closed my eyes to take a strengthening breath before opening them and meeting his gaze head on.

Dark eyes searched mine in silence for what was probably just a few moments, but it felt like a long time. His scent met my nose like it had earlier and my lips parted slightly as my brow furrowed. Right now I should be upset with him for how he treated me earlier, but my entire body wanted to get in closer proximity with his.

My skin was burning when just an hour ago I was so cold I had goosebumps, especially on my lower back, where his fingers had brushed against my bare skin. Why did he touch me like that?

The air vibrated as he said something, but I was in such a daze that I didn't hear it and had to make a confused sound so he'd repeat himself. "Do you feel anything?" His tone was tense and he spoke at a very soft level so no one would overhear.

My face probably went from pale to bright red in the snap and I stuttered over my words, "W-W-What do y-you m-m-m-"

He cut me off quickly and I was stunned to see a light pink hue meet his cheeks, "No, I mean do you think you were drugged again?"

The air in my lungs left with a whoosh and I leaned my elbow on the table so I could cover my face with my free hand, shaking my head in humiliation, "N-No, I just feel tipsy is all."

The warmth in my body was becoming unbearable and I had to get away from him or else I'd end up fainting. He looked up at me like I was crazy when I shot to my feet, hands flat on the table. "I…I need a minute. I'll be right back." The Uchiha man seemed like he was about to get up, but I gave him a stern look and he relented, the irritated look returning to his face. That right there was why I had to get some space from him, even if it was just for a few moments.

I made my way to one of the side exits and slid outside, propping the door open with the wedge on the ground so I wouldn't be locked out. The days were still pretty warm since it's only the first week of October, but at night it was beginning to get cold enough that not having a jacket was a mistake. Right now, though, I was happy to feel the cooled breeze dust my hot skin.

"Oh, hey Hinata."

I jolted in shock before turning to see Kisame and Deidara standing against the wall a yard or so away, smoking cigarettes. "A-Ah, hello."

The blond man exhaled, smoke rising into the air from his lips as he held out the cigarette in his hand to offer it to me. I raised a hand, shaking my head. He shrugged and I gingerly moved to stand with my back to the building like they were.

"Are you always this shy?"

Two months ago, I would've looked at him in shock and stumbled over my words trying to find a response, but by now I'm just fed up with hearing that question every time I meet someone new so I just shrugged and let my eyes zone out as I looked up at the dark night sky.

"Will you think I'm lame if I tell you I'm a huge fan?"

That was something I wasn't used to hearing from my peers, so I did look over at the two of them with wide eyes this time. It'd been Deidara who said it, but Kisame nodded eagerly at his side, adding, "Yeah, me too."

Somehow, I found my voice through my utter disbelief. They didn't seem to be teasing me. "Really?"

The taller of the two crushed the butt of his cigarette under his shoe as he nodded, fixing the buttons of his tuxedo jacket with a small blush on his cheeks, "You're kidding, right?"

Deidara continued for him, grinning widely, "You're already known as one of the best voices of this generation and you debuted like two months ago."

Tears welled up in my eyes and I squeezed them shut as I turned my head away from them so they wouldn't see.

"Hey, it's a compliment, yeah. Why're you upset?"

Of course I'd embarrass myself in front of Prestige's brother idol group. I shook my head, looking up and blinking rapidly to try and get the tears to sink back into their ducts and not ruin my makeup, "T-Thank you for saying that. It means a lot to hear it from other artists."

An arm came around my shoulders and I jumped, eyes darting over to see that Deidara had let it fall over them with a teasing expression, "Who knew you'd be so cute in person! You always look so serious on tv."

A relieved laugh passed my lips and I grinned, leaning into his half-embrace, "I-I suppose I should take up acting if I managed to fool you that well." The three of us talked for a couple more minutes before I excused myself to go back inside. Having my first real conversation with two of our new friends had helped my blood pressure return to normal so I was feeling ready to face Sasuke again.

After making my way back to the table, I realized everyone from Prestige had returned, but no one from Akatsuki had. I looked past Gaara at Sakura as I sat down, "What happened?" She had a big pout on her lips.

Asking apparently broke her composure because she snapped in an irritated voice, "Sasori's mad at me for not trusting him. Can you believe it? He lied and somehow I'm the bad guy!" My eyebrows rose in response to her outburst, but I didn't reply. It was obvious she didn't want one and simply wanted me to know she wasn't in the mood.

Gaara was looking out at the crowd with a dazed expression as he actively ignored the angry pinkette at his side while Sasuke had his back turned to me so he could drink with two very pretty women who'd pulled chairs up to join him.

Feeling a bit calmer with the alcohol in my system, I tried to lighten the mood and nudged Gaara lightly, "Who's that girl you were dancing with? You too looked awfully close!"

The redhead quirked an eyebrow at me like I'd grown a second head, "What girl?"

Sakura laughed loudly, obviously also feeling the effect of the champagne, "Oh, come on, Gaara! I thought we were close enough that you'd tell us about this kind of stuff!"

He seemed completely lost, but I couldn't tell in my tipsy state if he was faking it or not. He's quite shy, so it made sense that he might not immediately come to us with the news that he'd met someone here and they'd hit it off quite quickly. He might go to Sasuke or Temari, but never more than one person at a time and certainly not out in public like this.

Hidan's loud and robust laughter suddenly became discernable over the loud music and crowd, making the three of us look up as he approached the table, a waiter in tow with a platter of drinks, "Another round for my new friends!"

We were each given another glass and I gingerly accepted it, worried if I drank much more it'd be obvious to even those who don't know me that I was under the influence. The last thing I want to do is cause trouble for my friends, especially when cameras are around.

Hidan took a glass himself and raised it for a toast, touching it to our glasses when we relented and did as he wanted, "To our blooming careers!" The blonde man chugged the entire glass before sitting it heavily down onto the table, making me jump slightly in surprise and stare up at him with wide eyes.

He let out another boisterous laugh, "Which one of you ladies would like to dance?"

Every fiber of my being was screaming "No!" at his question and instead of feeling hot with anxiety like I expected, I felt ice cold with fear. The way he drank made him seem like just another party boy, which would still be intimidating to me, but not quite as much as the fact that I know he's drugged me and Sakura in the past. Who knows what he would've done if Sasuke and Gaara hadn't been there. Everything he said and did seemed to have two meanings since he was pretending to be someone he wasn't.

Sakura made a negative noise loudly in her throat, "Sasori's meeting me here in a few minutes and Sasuke's about to take Hinata out to dance, right?" She nudged Gaara, who reached behind me to tap the Uchiha man's shoulder and garner his attention.

He looked back at us with a glare, "What?" I gave him a pleading look and he, thankfully, realized what was happening and nodded, looking up to see Hidan frowning at us.

I rose to my feet, offering the silver-haired man as apologetic a smile as I could feign before Sasuke pulled my arm into his and began leading us away. He whispered where only I could hear, "What's going on?" He sounded just as annoyed as before I'd gone outside, making the discomfort from before begin to reappear.

My face warmed, but it wasn't because I was feeling bashful. It was because I was scared he was going to insult me again, "U-Um, thank you for saving me from having to dance with Hidan." His mouth clamped shut and he nodded with an odd expression.

The quick song that'd been playing came to an end just as we were far enough for the table not to see us through the thick crowd and Sasuke immediately looked incredibly uncomfortable. With a sigh of defeat, he pulled me closer to him and rested a hand on my lower back while holding my hand with his other one.

The rage-filled aura around him threatened to explode like it had earlier when he lost his temper at the table and the tipsy feeling I was experiencing seemed to clear for just a moment because my body trembled slightly in his hold. The Uchiha man obviously saw this as yet another burden on his night and I couldn't stand here and pretend not to notice it.

I tugged away from him with tears in my eyes, but couldn't take even a step before his grip tightened to keep me in place, "Wait, where are you going?"

My chin quivered as I stared at his shoulder rather than pull away to look into his eyes. I hope he couldn't tell I was struggling not to cry, "I'm obviously annoying you s-so let me go."

He didn't react for a long moment before a sigh left his lips and he gently pulled me closer so we were pressed against one another. My free hand came up to his shoulder on instinct.

Sasuke's voice was quiet as he spoke into my ear. I could feel his breath on my shoulder, "I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong." I could tell he was also apologizing for his harsh words earlier in the night and was so relieved that my composure broke long enough for a tear to fall.

I pulled back to meet his gaze as I moved my fingers under my mask to wipe at it, realizing he was being sincere, before returning to where I was before, looking over his broad shoulder. Normally I wouldn't be able to, but the heels on my feet gave me at least a few extra inches of height.

A fire was beginning to burn within me like earlier when he was staring at me and I repeatedly told myself it was just the champagne talking. God, he smells like heaven. A shiver ran down my spine when he suddenly whispered in my ear and I know he felt it because his hand was pressed flat against the bare skin of my lower back.

"Do you remember dancing last time we were here?" There was an odd emotion in his voice that I couldn't pinpoint.

I searched my memories of that night and couldn't recall what he was referring to, "T-That must've been after I'd been drugged…I don't remember." He was silent and I awkwardly tried to keep the conversation flowing, "So we danced like this, then?"

The smooth breathing pattern that'd been dusting my shoulder paused before he exhaled heavily, "It wasn't anything like this, no."

The insinuation in his voice was enough to help me understand what must've happened and I buried my face in his shoulder with an embarrassed groan, "I hope I didn't force you. I'm sorry."

He made a negative sound and it rumbled his chest. When he responded, his voice was so quiet that I could barely hear him even though his lips were mere inches from my ear, "It was fun."

My fingers twitched in his hand and he slightly curled his fingers around them as he swiftly changed the flow of our conversation, "But that's all I'm gonna tell you about that night until I figure out what my wish is, so don't ask anything else about it."

His return to his normal personality made me feel so much more comfortable and I shook my head, pulling back to look in his eye, "It's been months, Sasuke. Don't you think it's time to make a decision?"

A smirk tugged at his lips and he tilted his head, "I don't recall discussing a cut off time, do you?" I frowned and he chuckled. The song ended before I could figure out a response and he led me back to the table much more calmly than how we'd left.

To my relief, Hidan wasn't there when I sat back down and I glanced down at the full glass waiting for me at my seat.

Gaara gave me a reassuring look, "Sakura filled me in. Don't worry. I tasted it, so you should be fine." A giddy feeling came over me when I looked into his pretty teal eyes and before I knew it, my arms were around his middle in a friendly hug. Both Sasuke and Sakura let out small laughs in response to my tipsy affection.

Once I realized what I'd done, I pulled back with a red face, "S-Sorry! I just…felt like it…" Inner me cringed at my sad attempt to explain myself.

Gaara's face was bright red, "It's alright, I don't mind."

Sakura laughed again and hugged him from his other side and I joined her when she motioned for me to hug him again. "Gaara, you like it, right?" Her voice was a bit slurred and I realized she was probably feeling just as relaxed as me.

Sasuke took out his phone and snapped a photo of what was likely an expression of complete disbelief on our youngest bandmate's face, "Millions of guys would kill to be in your seat right now, man."

Sakura scoffed at the Uchiha man, releasing the poor redhead at the same time as me, "We'd hug you, too, but you're a big pervert!"

He shrugged, "Remember that when you need help getting to the limo when we leave."

The rest of the time we spent at the ball went in a blur. The only thing I was sure of was that I drank more and probably shouldn't have. My focus returned sometime later, after we'd returned home. The four of us had swiftly ditched our formal attire for quick showers and pajamas before Sakura and I drunkenly wandered over to the boys' dorm.

Rather than kick us out, we ended up having an eighties movie marathon with blankets, pillows, and popcorn. I rolled onto my side with a glass of water an arm's length away, but it wasn't doing anything to sober me up.

My eyes hazily glanced over to see Sakura and Gaara were asleep side by side, both on their stomachs with a knocked over bowl of popcorn between them. A small grin dusted my lips when I recalled how cute Gaara's face was when we hugged him earlier.

Then I realized Sasuke was laying in front of me, facing me as he lay on his side. The familiar warmth that I felt last time I saw his relaxed sleeping face returned and I scooted closer to him with wide eyes. Men are so different from women. The closer I got to both him and Gaara, the more obvious it became.

As I stared at his face, I couldn't deny that he was gorgeous. This face, the one that wasn't on guard to fake an expression should anyone notice a slip of his mask, was my favorite one of Sasuke's. Has he shown it to anyone while he's awake? Even I haven't seen it when he isn't asleep. Will he ever be comfortable enough to show it to me?

My hand moved before I realized what I was doing, likely fueled by the champagne, and cupped this cheek. I was distracted when my thumb brushed against the corner of his mouth and my eyes dropped down to stare at them. They looked soft. I slowly brushed my thumb against his bottom lip. It was just as soft as it looked.

A familiar feeling arose in my lower abdomen and I swallowed. The sensation was stronger than I've ever felt. My eyes danced back up and I realized Sasuke's eyes were open. He was looking at me with an expression I haven't ever seen so I couldn't put my finger on what emotion he was portraying.

I froze, worried he'd be angry I'd touched him without his permission, but to my surprise he leaned into the touch of my palm against his cheek as he reached up to lightly grip my wrist. Then his eyes were closed again. I stared at him in surprise, but he didn't reopen them and I decided to just be grateful he hadn't gotten mad and let myself finally fall asleep.