Chapter 31

-Hinata's POV-

The next day, Friday, we relaxed as much as possible. The only thing we had to do was try on the outfits Ino and Karin had picked out for us. Since they knew all of our measurements, they arrived already tailored to fit.

All of us thought it'd be nice to bring dates to Masquerade, but both Tenten and Kakashi advised against it. This was our first red carpet event since debuting. I couldn't help but agree that we should just go as a group to avoid any misunderstandings with our new fans. Sakura was the only one who was truly annoyed about it because she wanted to bring Sasori. The rest of us didn't mind.

Sasuke doesn't go public with any of the women he sleeps with so he'd never bring one to an event like that and Gaara said he'd just ask his sister if he had to bring someone. Kiba and I were also way too new so I was nervous to ask him to make a choice like that, appearing in public with me.

On Saturday afternoon, Tenten and Ino left us early so they could prepare since they're the hosts for the event. Karin wasn't going to be there because she had some family things to deal with, but wished us luck.

Rather than have us go to a salon, Kakashi had hair and makeup artists come to our dorms.

My hair was put into romantic waves and I was relieved that my makeup was more subdued than how it'd been in the "Familiar" music video. It still looked a million times better than it does when I usually do it, though.

Sakura's long hair was in a detailed french braid down her back with little curled strands framing her face. She looked like a fairytale elf or something. All she was missing was the pointy ears. Her dress was a matte black and resembled a corset. It was sheer everywhere below her upper thighs. The thin cloth flowed down around her feet like flower petals, just adding to the ethereal look she was portraying. Somehow, the rather revealing outfit came off as extremely classy and suited her body type very well.

My dress was also black, but it had more of a classic ballgown shape. Thin straps held the top up and layers of tulle flowed at different lengths to the floor to create a bit of volume. It was a bit more low cut in both the front and back than I was used to, but it was tailored perfectly so there wouldn't be any chances of an accident happening so I was fine with it.

The boys were both given tuxedos. They didn't want to just wear a normal outfit and blend into the background so Karin and Ino helped them find little ways to differ from the others. Sasuke's jacket was longer and a bit more edgy than the average one while Gaara was going to have a black shirt rather than a white one.

Since we didn't want to steal the attention from the wonderful clothing we'd been given, we all opted to wear simple, matching, black masquerade masks. All in all, our outfits would look great separately, but also appear cohesive when we eventually stand together.

Sakura took photo after photo both with and without me, with the makeup and hair artists, and around the dorm as she gushed about how in love she was with her dress. She wore strappy black stilettos with thin ribbons tying up her shins and I wore matte black pumps. My shoes weren't visible because of how long my dress was, so it didn't really matter what they looked like either way.

The time to step out into the hall and join the boys so we could leave was rapidly approaching and my nerves were picking up further with each moment that passed. It's not like I was nervous to see them, but I was terrified of making a mistake during our very first red carpet event.

"It'll be fine, Hina. You look amazing!" I gave her a grateful smile, thankful she had such faith in me, but didn't say anything. "I mean it. You look like an A-lister."

A notification came on both of our phones at the same time and we simultaneously checked to confirm our ride was outside and it was time to go. She pulled my free hand into hers and we shared a strengthening look before stepping out into the hallway. After locking the door behind us, I turned to verify if the rest of Prestige was coming only to freeze when I lay eyes on them.

We've all seen one another in a wide variety of styles, but none of it compared to how much effort we'd all put in this time around, not even the music videos. The two young men looked more handsome than I've ever seen them.

My eyes danced between Gaara and Sasuke a few times before sticking to the Uchiha's more than flawless appearance. His usually messy hair was expertly slicked back to show his forehead, a rare sight. The angular plains of his face were beautiful. There wasn't a better word for it. I couldn't pull my gaze from him for the life of me despite knowing very well that I needed to, for the sake of everyone here not feeling awkward.

A familiar warmth steadily began rising to my face when his dark eyes locked onto mine and widened to match my surprised expression. I'd been caught, but still couldn't look away. To my surprise, neither did he for a few moments. When he finally did and followed his roommate in beginning to walk our way, I could've let out a sigh of relief as it broke me from my stupor. I turned my body to the side, not facing them, and slid my masquerade mask over my eyes in an attempt to hide my mortified blush.

Sakura spoke, breaking the tense silence in the hall, and her voice told me she was just as star-struck as me, "You guys look incredible!"

The boys came to stand in front of us and I forced myself to politely regard them so as not to be rude, making an effort not to meet Sasuke's eye again. Instead, I forced myself to think about Kiba, what he might look like in a tuxedo, and if he'd think I was pretty in my outfit.

Gaara's soft voice responded to Sakura, "You both look beautiful."

I met his eye, offering him a shy smile of gratitude for his compliment, but he didn't even notice. He was too busy trying to subdue his obvious gawking at my pink-haired friend. The woman in question turned on her heel and wordlessly motioned for us to follow her to the elevator, but I didn't miss the bashful look on her face as she averted her gaze to the ground. I saw it clear as day.

Internally, I wanted to scream. She seemed to be struggling to keep her boyfriend in mind around Gaara, just like I was around Sasuke. Two months ago, I never imagined I'd feel this physically attracted to him. Okay, so that was kind of a lie. From the first couple weeks I knew he was irresistibly gorgeous, but I didn't think I'd begin to struggle to control myself like this.

Has something happened to cause this sudden change? For some reason, the only thing I could think of was him walking in on me and Kiba making out, but I knew it was wrong to feel like this. I have a brand new boyfriend who is wonderful to me and it's in our contracts that we're not allowed to have relationships like that with anyone signed to the same agency, especially those in our own idol group. Not only that, but it's incredibly selfish of me to have urges like this for probably my closest friend in our group.

Sure, Sakura and I are two peas in a pod nowadays, but she and Ino were close in a way I couldn't be. That doesn't make me jealous, don't get me wrong. I'm so happy that she has someone she can relate to so well and I also love Ino to death and am her friend. Gaara and Sasuke are very close, but Gaara is a bit of a loner and has assured us many times that he prefers it that way. Sasuke doesn't have any close friends outside of the label, that I'm aware of, so that left the two of us to spend more time together while the others do their own thing.

It'd be terrible of me to act on these emotions I'm feeling because Sasuke has placed his trust in me to simply be his friend. He's never brought it up and likely never would, but I know he's just like me when it comes to letting people get close. Throughout my childhood, many approached in an attempt to befriend me solely because of my family name. They didn't give a damn about me or how I felt and just wanted to be able to say they had friends in high places.

Not only that, but it was worse when it came to women with the Uchiha man. They've undoubtedly thrown themselves at him from likely before he was legally of age. He's one hell of a playboy and makes his way around, but I find it hard to believe that it doesn't affect him at some level. So, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and pretend nothing has changed, for his sake and mine.

The door to the elevator reopened as we reached the ground level of the agency and we headed outside to make our way past the barricade of paparazzi before finally piling into the awaiting limo.

The ride there was completely silent and almost awkward as each of us pretended not to be sneaking glances at one another. My fingers clutched my small purse more tightly as I hardened my gaze on the floorboard.

I'm so nervous that I'd almost consider myself scared. I don't know why, either. This was supposed to be a night of relaxation where we sit back and have a good time. We have no obligations to perform and were told we can leave at any point in the night if we wished. So why was I finding it hard to stop the trembles running over my body?

The limo came to a stop, tearing me from my anxious thoughts. My heart rose in my throat as the bright flashes of dozens of cameras were already coming in through the darkly tinted windows of our vehicle. I could hear the sound of at least a hundred people out there. One side of the red carpet was made up of fans of the celebrities attending the event and the other side was filled with reporters and photographers.

Sakura, being our leader, was the first to step out of the limo when the door opened and someone offered her a polite helping hand. She gave me a quick smile before accepting it as she smoothed out her dress and climbed out. The roar of the crowd made my fingers tremble. Gaara followed after her, then Sasuke, then it was finally my turn. After taking a deep and calming breath, I accepted the extended hand as my heeled foot hit the pavement.

A small smile forced itself onto my lips when panic rose in my throat as I realized it'd been Sasuke to offer his hand in aiding me exit the limo. He didn't return it, instead swiftly letting me go and averting his gaze ahead. I didn't take offense because we knew better than to be overly friendly in public. Just one misleading photo could cause a tremendous uproar.

We traveled as a group down the red carpet, signing a few autographs for the fans and acknowledging the photographers across the aisle when possible. An usher led us slowly until we made it to a small area with a backdrop where we stood side by side and had our photos taken for a few minutes.

A reporter with long orange hair and a pretty smile stepped up with her microphone pointed our way, "How does it feel to be attending one of the biggest events of the year as your red carpet debut?"

We glanced at one another before Sasuke spoke up with his usual charming grin in place, "We're so grateful to our fans for helping us make it this far and we couldn't be happier."

The crowd erupted with more questions before a short man with spiky blonde hair pushed forward and stuck out, "Should we expect new music soon?"

Sakura answered this time, "We're working hard, but it's a secret! You'll all just have to wait and see!" Cheers and hollers filled the air once more, but we were ushered into the building so we wouldn't have to answer anymore questions.

Once we were past the threshold of the doorway, I felt my mouth threaten to fall open in awe. The club looked completely different from the last time I'd seen it. Gone were the velvety red booths, black tables, and black floors. Instead, classy silver and gold tables filled half of the room while the floors were an almost fluorescent white with shiny silver specks here and there. The other half of the floor was cleared so people could dance if they so chose to, minus a small sectioned off area where a select few photographers were granted to sit and take photos of the event. It was well lit, differing greatly from the dim visuals from before.

We wandered our way forward at a calm pace, just taking in the aura of the massive building as we politely greeted those whose tables we passed before Tenten and Ino appeared out of nowhere, forcing us into a quick group hug. They were both wearing deep purple dresses, Ino's more edgy while Tenten's was reminiscent of classical hollywood glamor. Both had their hair down and straight.

The blonde supermodel let out a low whistle as she looked us over, "You guys are giving everyone else a run for their money! I bet you're gonna make some enemies tonight."

My eyes darted around the room nervously as the two hosts chatted with us for another few moments. There were already so many celebrities here that I've never had the pleasure of meeting before.

There was Team Samui, three extremely sought after clothing designers from Kumogakure. Konan was up by the bar, looking stunning in a tightly-fitting gown with a slit all the way up to her upper thigh. The famous actors Choji Akamichi and Shino Aburame were near her, seemingly drinking together. Shino's actually one of Kiba's friends, but I've never met him in person. One of Ino's rivals, supermodel Kayuya Uchimaki, was speaking with a tall man with long black hair, but I couldn't see his face because his back was turned.

"Come on, follow us. We reserved a table with the Akatsuki boys so play nice!" Tenten teased as she led us to a table closer to the dance floor. Once we arrived, the two women linked arms and bid us farewell so they could return to their duties as hosts of the event.

Sakura wasted no time approaching a stoic looking man with bright orange hair and multiple ear and facial piercings, "It's good to see you again!"

He got to his feet and they shared a short, polite embrace before he gestured for us to join him at the table. She took a seat right next to him, glancing back at us for a moment to make sure we were following her lead. Gaara sat at her side, I was next to him, and then Sasuke was at my other side.

The pierced man only spoke once we were all seated, "This is the first time we're meeting as a group. We should do introductions before it gets too loud in here." His voice was unbelievably low, but he didn't speak that loudly as though he wasn't a fan of having a lot of attention brought to himself. Somehow, I thought he seemed very attractive even though he was the furthest thing from my type. His aura was nice and calm.

Sakura perked up, "Of course!" She smiled at the other three men at the table, forcing me to finally take notice of them, "It's nice to formally meet you all. My name's Sakura."

The orange-haired man, who I've deduced as the leader by now, continued as he looked over at Gaara, Sasuke, and I, "I am Yahiko, the leader of Akatsuki. My stage name is Pein, but I prefer it if you'd call me by my real one when we're not performing."

I grinned politely and moved my eyes to the next man as I waited for him to introduce himself, only to nearly jump in shock when the smell of Sasuke's cologne met my nose like a ton of bricks. The heat that'd only just faded from my face began to creep back up and I attempted to hold my breath so I could ignore the attractive scent.

A tall blonde man with very long hair and bright blue eyes offered us a big grin. He had a few piercings in each ear and was so handsome I was sure he'd become a model if his singing career ended up failing. "My name's Deidara, one of the singers. Let's have fun together!" His voice was more masculine than I expected from his appearance and his tone suggested he was a bit of a flirt. I made a mental note not to approach him alone unless I've had a few drinks because I'd likely get overwhelmed if he acted too casual too quickly around me.

Next to him sat one of the tallest men I've ever seen in my life. On top of that, he was extremely built, like he was an extreme fitness model or something of that nature. He had pale skin and dark blue eyes and hair. He smiled a wolfish grin, reminding me of my boyfriend, "I'm Kisame. I'm one of the rappers."

The moment I heard his voice I realized he was the drunk man who'd nearly run into me the night Sakura had a party at our dorm. I wonder if he remembers our brief meeting. Kisame's appearance was quite intimidating, but his personality quickly seemed to be the opposite so my odd first impression of him cleared up.

The person next to him was also quite tall and muscular, just not as much as Kisame. His hair was a silver-ish light blonde that was slicked back neatly and his eyes were a bright pink-ish purple color that stood out greatly against his pale hair and skin. When he offered us a confident smile, I had to admit that he had very nice teeth, "The name's Hidan. I'm the other rapper."

My attention was pulled away from our new acquaintances when both Sakura and Gaara visibly got tense, but I swiftly forced myself to appear normal so no one else would notice. Our redheaded bandmate introduced himself in his usual soft voice, but he sounded almost as uncomfortable as he looked, "I'm Gaara. It's nice to see you all again."

Everyone nodded at him and then the eyes were on me expectantly. The soft blush on my face suddenly warmed much further, "I-I'm Hinata!"

Sasuke quickly spoke next and I was grateful for his distraction, "My name is Sasuke."

Kisame let out a chuckle, "I've heard many things about you from your brother, man! Nice to finally meet you."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "All good things, I'm sure." I looked between the two of them quizzically and could sense my other bandmates doing the same.

Kisame laughed again before explaining, "His brother and I were roommates in college." Understanding eased my confusion.

A waiter then approached the table, clad in an all-white suit, to ask if we'd like to order any drinks. The large room was getting louder as the last few people seemed to make their way inside. All of Akatsuki ordered alcohol since their youngest member, Hidan, was already twenty-three. Only Sasuke ordered it out of Prestige because he's twenty-one.

The moment the waiter left to submit the drink order, the lights dimmed slightly, signaling that the hosts were about to kick off the event. My nervous trembling had yet to cease and actually picked up a bit as I looked around the room and sat back in my chair rather than having my body angled toward our new friends. When I looked at my hands atop my small purse, I realized my anxiety was visible and swiftly moved them down onto my lap, under the table.

My fingers fiddled with the cloth of my dress as I continued to take in the room. It's cold even though we're indoors. Goosebumps were climbing up my bare arms and back. All around the massive building, gorgeous celebrities and a-list attendees mingled and drank. My heart was beating so wildly in my chest that I was surprised I was able to feel the chill in the air because I'd normally be sweating by now.

A rough hand suddenly interlaced fingers with one of my fidgeting hands, stopping me from messing with my dress, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. When I looked over at Sasuke, whose hand was now resting on my lap in mine, he was looking at something across the room with a glare and not at me. Our chairs were close enough together that no one could see what he was doing, so I wasn't worried about that.

His hand squeezed mine reassuringly and I realized he'd picked up on my nervousness and was attempting to calm me down. A small smile touched my lips and I returned the squeeze. The kind gesture honestly helped.

Ino's voice finally rang out and the room quieted down so we could turn our attention to the small stage at the head of the dance floor. She and Tenten looked absolutely stunning under the bright lights focused on their position, "Welcome to the annual Masquerade Ball!"

Cheers and claps rang throughout the room, Sasuke pulling his hand from mine so we could both join in applauding our friends. I glanced at him, but he still refused to meet my gaze so I looked back up at the hosts. "My name is Ino Yamanaka." Tenten spoke next, "And I'm Tenten!"

The crowd cheered for them once more, our table included. Hidan suddenly waved over our waiter as he passed by, pulling the man down to whisper into his ear. The employee looked at the rest of our table with an unsure expression before nodding and heading in the direction of the bar.

My attention was pulled back up to the front as the pair continued with their opening statements, "Tonight, we want everyone to have a great time celebrating life!"

Ino continued, "We don't want to make you wait a moment longer, so this party has now officially been started!"

Applause filled the air for the beautiful duo as they headed off the podium to mingle with some of the high end guests as they made their way through the crowd. Our waiter then returned and silently placed a drink in front of everyone before bowing and moving along to tend to his next table. When I took a sip, I grit my teeth with a red face when what was supposed to be sparkling cider ended up being very real champagne. Gaara and Sakura looked just as confused.

Hidan snickered, speaking in a subdued voice so no one else would overhear, "My dad owns this place, so the waiters do whatever I ask them to. The drinks are on me tonight!" An uneasy smile met my lips as I forced myself to be polite despite suddenly getting an odd vibe from the man.

The music suddenly turned up much louder and the lights dimmed further than before. A large number of people made their way to the dance floor and suddenly the club seemed more akin to how it'd been when we'd been here previously.

To my surprise, barely fifteen minutes passed before I sensed Sasuke tense up beside me and I looked over to see he'd turned in his seat to give someone behind us a burning glare. I followed his gaze, only to jump in surprise when his older brother stood there with a polite grin, "Good evening baby brother, Hinata."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "I thought I told you not to talk to me in public." The way he said it made it clear he was playing the role of an annoyed little brother and didn't actually mean it, but I was still surprised by his lack of manners when there was a chance someone could overhear. I simply offered Itachi a smile.

"If it eases your mind, I've only come over to say hello to Kisame and ask the beautiful Miss Hyuuga for a dance."

Sakura and Gaara finally noticed his presence and the older Uchiha brother politely greeted them, "Of course I'm inclined to ask Miss Haruno for one at some point this evening, as well."

The pink-haired young woman grinned flirtatiously, "We meet again Mr. Uchiha. It's a pleasure to see you." At this point, we all knew she was only laying it on so thick to piss Sasuke off and Itachi played along for the exact same reason. It worked.

"Can you fuck off already?"

Kisame let out a cheer, "Hey, bro! I was wondering if you were gonna say hi or not. What's up?" The tall man had risen from his seat so he could approach and shook the Uchiha man's hand casually, patting his arm as he chuckled.

"I couldn't resist teasing my baby brother, could I?"

My face warmed when his dark eyes suddenly landed on my face and his smile widened as he removed his hand from his friend's and offered it to me, "What do you say Miss Hyuuga? May I have one dance?"

I found myself nodding, not wanting to offend him, and allowed him to grab my hand as I tossed back the rest of my glass of champagne before rising to my feet. Sasuke gave me a harsh glare and my brow furrowed, but I was led away by his brother before either of us could say anything. I did hear Kisame teasing him about it as we walked away, though.

"Forgive me for putting you in such a predicament. It brings me so much joy to annoy him."

A slow ballad was playing through the speakers and once we were a ways onto the dance floor, Itachi expertly rested a hand on the small of my back and held my hand in his other one. My fingers were still trembling with nerves and he had to notice, but thankfully he didn't say anything, so I felt comfortable enough to offer a shy smile, "I-It's alright."

We danced casually, more focused on speaking than our movements. "Congratulations on your success thus far. Your career is taking off. I'm sure you're happy."

I nodded, trying to ignore the flash of cameras every couple seconds from the small group of photographers nearby that'd been granted access to the event. They're likely to have a field day sparking more rumors about a Hyuuga-Uchiha merger after this, but I couldn't let fear control my every movement. If the two of us want to dance as professional acquaintances then we should be allowed to and it doesn't have to mean anything.

"I'm very happy, yes. I hope our success continues," I paused, feeling a bit hesitant but eventually asked, "How are you? Have you been well?"

He seemed genuinely surprised that I asked, "I'm very well, thank you. It's kind of you to ask." The conversation lulled for a few moments before he suddenly spoke in a slightly softer tone as though he didn't want anyone to overhear, "If I hadn't come with a date, I'd be tempted to stay by your side for the remainder of the evening. You look stunning, Hinata."

The blush on my cheeks strengthened and I stared into his dark eyes with wide ones. Just like with his younger brother, it was hard to tell if he was teasing me or not. "T-Thank you. You look nice as well." And he honestly did. He wore a black tuxedo with a dark red shirt and his long hair was in a higher ponytail rather than the loose one that normally ran down his back. The style made that famous Uchiha jawline seem more prominent.

"Would you be opposed to receiving my phone number? I offer it without any hidden intentions. I'd simply like to ask that you reach out should anything happen to my brother. He doesn't like to keep in contact."

I hesitantly shook my head, "That would be fine, I suppose."

The song came to an end and he led me back to my table, where he waited politely for me to hand him my phone. Sasuke glared at him in disbelief when I handed it to him and he entered his number, "You've got to be fucking kidding me, Itachi."

My phone was handed back to me and the older Uchiha brother teasingly poked Sasuke's forehead with two fingers, "Don't let your jealousy show so easily, baby brother. It's unappealing." He gave me one last polite smile before bowing, "Thank you for the dance, Hinata. Until we speak again."

Sakura squealed loudly, reaching across Gaara to grab my hand, "Oh my gosh, Hina! Look at you, landing a hot guy's number not even an hour after arriving. I'm impressed!"

My eyes widened as her words brought up the memory of Sasuke's stunned face as he lay eyes on me in Kiba's lap. "I'm impressed, Hyuuga." That's what he'd said, but his tone was way off when he did.

"You're not fucking special, Hyuuga. If your chest wasn't so big, he wouldn't give you a second glance."

My eyes darted over to Sasuke, who was glaring at me with an anger I hadn't sensed from him in a very long time. Not only that, but the words that just left his mouth were by far the meanest he's ever said to me. I frowned, hurt by his rude remark, but couldn't respond before the waiter appeared with refills. Tears threatened to begin welling up in my eyes, but I blinked them back as I stared at the table.

Sakura and Sasuke were arguing in hushed tones across Gaara and I, but I didn't hear a word they were saying. The only reason I accepted Itachi's number was because he seemed to genuinely care about his brother and I know how Sasuke can be. He'd never tell his family if something bad happened unless it was a last resort. Not a single bit of temptation was within me to flirt with the older Uchiha brother or text him casually, but Sasuke assumed the worst and immediately attacked me for it.

I thought we were closer than that by now. I thought he knew me better than that.

The two louder members of Prestige eventually quieted down and Sakura went back to seeming incredibly uncomfortable alongside Gaara, who never stopped appearing that way. Every member of Akatsuki was gone, somewhere in the building mingling and having a good time. After about a half-hour, I finished the glass of champagne, making me two glasses in, and then Sakura was pulling me to my feet and asking if I'd go with her to the bathroom with a big fake grin on her lips.

She pulled me behind her as we weaved through the crowded room before ducking into the bathroom. After verifying no one else was inside, she locked the door. The sound of it clicking made my eyes widen and I looked around with a sense of deja vu. It felt like I'd been in this exact room before, but I couldn't remember it. Perhaps it was the alcohol. We hadn't eaten a lot before coming to the event so the two glasses of champagne already had my body feeling a bit warm.

My hands were suddenly grasped tightly within my pink-haired friend's and I met her gaze with wide eyes. Bright green eyes were watery with panic and she hissed in a quiet voice, "It's him! The guy who slipped stuff into our drinks last time we were here!"

"What! Who?"

She lowered her voice even further, "Hidan! I've been trying to figure out where I've seen him before and I finally realized it when I saw him sitting up at the bar. It's him. I'm completely sure."

My mouth hung open as I stared at her in disbelief for a few moments. Hidan was the one who roofied us and we've been drinking drinks sent by him since we arrived. "W-What if-!"

She nodded frantically, grip tightening on my hands, "I know! What if he did it again? We might be in trouble right now, Hinata."

A loud knock sounded from the door and we jumped apart. Sakura gave me a stern look before unlocking it and we were stunned to see a tipsy Konan make her way inside, immediately stumbling into a stall, "This is a public bathroom. Why the hell would you lock the door? Don't you know drunk women pee a lot!" Yes, she was definitely drunk. Normally you'd be hard pressed to get five words out of her if she wasn't obligated to speak.

Neither of us could find a reply so we simply waited for her to come back out. When she did, she washed her hands and shot Sakura a knowing look in the mirror, "Sasori's here, before you even ask." I glanced at my friend in shock and she returned it. The redhead had told her he wasn't coming.

Konan made an annoyed sound, "Don't just stand there staring. It's annoying."

I stumbled over my words, unsure of what to say or do in front of the intimidating woman since there weren't cameras on us this time around, "Y-You look pretty, Konan."

The woman's lips pursed in the mirror before she turned around to face us while drying her hands. A loud sigh left her as she tossed the used paper towel in the bin, "Look, I'm sorry for being so bitchy. You two are cool in my book. Later." Then she stumbled drunkenly out of the room, leaving us to gawk in her absence.

After a moment, Sakura spoke in a disappointed voice, "Sasori lied to me…"

Eager to distract myself from the fact that Sasuke was being a complete jerk to me like he had when we first met, I pulled one of her hands into mine and squeezed it supportively, "Let's go find him."

She frowned, "What if we've been drugged again? There are too many cameras and people around. Should we just go home?"

I shared her hesitant expression before sighing, "We could always ask Gaara to keep an eye on us, just in case. It's been almost an hour since our first drinks and I don't feel anything yet, so I think we'll be fine." She nodded, but still seemed a bit unsure. Regardless, she walked past me and began pulling me along behind her as we headed back to the table.

-Sasuke's POV-

I did it again.

Just like when I was a dick when I first met Hinata, I just let the words leave my lips without thinking of anything but my anger. The moment I saw how hurt she was, I regretted it, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything else to her.

This was exactly what Itachi wanted to happen when he gave her his number in front of me, I just know it. The two of us haven't been close in over ten years, but somehow he can still read me like a book. He's such a conniving asshole. If he wants to piss me off, he could do it without fucking with my friends.

"What's your problem, Sasuke?"

I looked over at Gaara, pulling my gaze from my glass of champagne. He was glaring at me just like Sakura had when she was bitching at me for being mean to Hinata. I didn't need either of them to reprimand me because I was already pissed at myself for it.

My roommate waited patiently for me to respond and I sighed, deciding to just be honest, "I don't know, man."

His glare softened a bit and he shook his head, swirling his drink around in his glass but not drinking it. He doesn't like getting drunk or taking medication or smoking pot. Anything that would alter his state of mind or ability to control himself, he avoided as much as possible. None of us know why and none of us have had the balls to ask, either. "You should apologize."

I turned my gaze back onto my own drink, nodding silently. She looked like she was about to cry when she was sitting there. I wonder if that's why Sakura took her to the bathroom, so she could without anyone else seeing it. Guilt clawed at my chest and I grit my teeth.

A small part of me thought she was way too weak if words could bring her to tears, but it wasn't just a random insult and I know that. It took a long time for Hinata to trust all of us because she's been bullied by pretty much everyone in her life and I just joined that group of assholes.

Not only that, but she's sensitive about her body. All of us know it. If we're not provided specific clothing to wear, she wouldn't be caught dead in anything that shows her figure too much. Honestly, she has nothing to worry about because millions of women would pay for a body like hers, but she'll probably never believe that.

I thought back to how she looked in the clothing for our "Familiar" music video and closed my eyes with a sigh. Even fucking Kakashi was stunned by how gorgeous she was that day. Today, too, she looks beautiful and it keeps pissing me off even further.

All this time, I've never seen her as anything other than a friend and bandmate. Of course I acknowledged her attractive appearance and sometimes struggled, even back then, to keep my mind out of the gutter. Recently something's changed, though. She's the same as always, but it's suddenly becoming harder and harder to not stare, to not flirt, to not touch.

In my head, she's in the circle containing women who are off limits in that regard. Very few are in there: her, Sakura, Ino, Tenten, and a few more. She kept making her way into a circle that wasn't there before. It contains the women who I have to have no matter the cost. Until now, it's been empty, and I need it to stay that way because anyone having that kind of power over me was unacceptable. So, the moment I'd notice her making her way over to it, I'd shove her back into the safe zone and reprimand myself for letting things get out of hand.

Another sigh left my lips and I tossed back the rest of my drink, watching the couples dance ahead of me on the floor.

I know exactly what started all of this. It was my fault for not waiting longer before opening the damn door to her room. Until that night, I never even pictured Hinata doing anything sexual in nature that wasn't simply performing choreography for our songs.

Her appearance had oozed sexuality: the way her back was arched, the lust-filled expression on her face, and even the tousled appearance of her clothing. It was like something snapped in me when I saw that. It was like my mind was saying, "It's possible to have sex with her, too. She's a woman, not a child." I knew it before then, obviously, but I'd managed to keep it buried so we could remain friends like we have.

The only thing that ruined the unbelievably sexy vision was the man touching her and kissing her and holding her on his lap.

The biggest issue I have isn't that it would go against our contracts or that our fans would be livid-pissed, even though those things are very important. No, it was that she knows me too damn well.

She's seen at least a dozen different women leaving my dorm already. The moment she realizes I badly want to do things that no one's ever done to her body, our friendship would be completely ruined. There isn't a doubt in my mind that she'll be disappointed, probably even deeply hurt, because she'll think I see her as just another fling. She'll think I'd willingly throw her and her friendship just to fuck a time or two.

It's not the truth and I refuse to let it be. I care about her stupid ass, that much is true even if I hate to admit it.

I'm not sure the depth of my feelings so I can't say yet if I'd like to date her or not, which is why she can't find out any of this. Hell, the longest I've ever had a girlfriend was a couple months and even then it was because my father forced me to court one of our family's business partners' daughters. I dumped her because she got on my nerves and ended up getting my ass chewed out for it.

If I gave in and made a move on Hinata, she'd be right about me because I'd be risking it all for my lust. So from now until these feelings fade, I'll just have to keep myself distracted and wait.

They'll go away. They have to go away.