Hey, it's been a while since i've last posted in this app. I know my writing isn't the best atm so please excuse my grammar mistakes. I'll get better. Either way, I hope you'll be able to enjoy this mini series.

Characters will be ooc. I'm trying to regain my practice and knowledge for the characters personalities. If there's any suggestions or comments please feel free to share.

"Stay for the night." Sasuke will never admit to his fear. He could never admit to his distress, much less confront it head on.

Composed and refine, strict and calm, he's known. Amongst himself and his friends. He takes pride in his remote impasssiveness.

He takes pride in it because there's nothing to show to others, nothing for them to use against him in a game of manipulation.

He refuses to be the puppet of anyone. He laothes the idea of it.

He can be in a level of induced pain, fear, anger or sorrow and he would carry on as if nothing is wrong.

No one can spot his wavering. Not a man in a thousand or in a million. And for that, he has his haunting past to thank for.

Those detrimental encounters, those failed relationships, the manipulation and pain that comes from trusting others only for said trust to crumble.

Those painful and damaging memories in his life has made sure to toss aside all signs of vulnerability.

He promised himself. No more pain. No more hurting. Hide the feelings and look the other way. It's easier like that.

Feelings just complicate things. It makes things messy. It makes people cry and break.

And if there's one thing Sasuke has learned, a lesson well taught, is that no one can return from being broken and shattered. Yes, you can fake it.

But honestly, it's only a matter of facades.

Facades needed to be painted and concealed. Like a charade of masked realities.

Hide.

Hide and don't show.

"You know I will-" Hinata, as pleasant and warm as a cup of hot chocolate in the winter season, never seizes to amaze him. She's a bag of pretty surprises.

So warm and lovely. So sweet and addicting. Maybe that's why he comes running back. Every single time.

"-I'll stay if you mean it. I'll stay if those words are spoken from the lips of a sober man." Sasuke knows Hinata far too well to know her lips utters no lies. Sure, she wavers. She's hesitant, but she always remains firm.

Unlike him, Hinata knows what she wants and who she wants. Sasuke has come to realize that she's persistent on the idea of love. She's shyly determined to grasp the hand of the man she hazily sees in the far distance of her lilac eyes.

She's also innocent and pure. Never once telling a lie. Because she's not a liar. But Sasuke is. "I do." In fact, Sasuke is a bullshit liar.

And Hinata knows it.

But, even so, she always stays.

Every single damn time. She chooses to believe Sasuke so blindly. She chooses to risk everything and ignore all the red flags, because she's Hinata.

Purely gullible. Easily trustful. Too unguarded. And incredibly naive.

"We can watch a film." Hinata says in a longing voice, knowing fully well the reality of their unique relationship. She masks the sadness that echoes from her heart. The same sadness that comes from lonely nights where she'll cry herself to sleep after retuning home from Sasuke's residence.

Her eyes are never as shinning and bright as they are in comparison to when she's with her friends.

With him, Sasuke notices a longing and dull look in her pretty eyes. Always waiting. Always hoping.

"I can cook and we can eat in the morning." Hinata mumbles with a spark of hope when Sasuke remains silent.

But Sasuke speaks up, because he should. "Hinata." It comes out as a warning.

A warning to both him and Hinata.

What they have going is simple. Sex, with no attachments. It was said and established the first night they met in a high and fancy club.

It was set in stone before Sasuke took Hinata hard and rough. When he asked her for confirmation in his husky voice, laced in pure want for the pretty woman he had pinned against the wall.

"No feelings, okay baby doll?" And Hinata, dazed in lust and desire, agreed.

Like a fool.

Hinata smiles tightly, for a lingering few seconds.

"Don't worry, Sasuke." Hinata walks closer to him, if only to reach for Sasuke. She cradles his face gently, as she stands in between his legs. "I'm just teasing you. I know your boundaries-"

"Our boundaries." Sasuke reminds. "The boundaries we said we'll keep. Today will be no different from yesterday or the day before. We stay and will remain the same princess."

Hinata soothes Sasuke's cheeks, hoping that if by doing so, he can somehow soothe away all the growing fear and obvious guard he has within.

The same guard Hinata has let fall for a brief moment before deciding to hold it back in place. Standing nice and tall. "I should've kept clear from you. Sasuke Uchiha, the man with a collection of heart on his shelf."

Hinata tries to smile bright and big, hoping she didn't scare Sasuke away with the sudden down fall in her mood. Usually, she isn't so serious with him.

Usually she isn't the one asking for things, she's the one recieving whatever is it she can get. Always a good doll for Sasuke.

"But I love your honesty. It makes this worthwhile. " Usually, Hinata is all teasing smiles and shy laughter.

Well, masked teasing smiles and shy laughter. All hidden.

Worry starts to lose it's keen string, growing weaker by the minute as Sasuke stares at sweet and lovely Hinata.

And then, his craving for affection raises it's head from the dirt. "Okay." Sasuke reaches for the hands on his cheeks and holds them. Looking and admiring.

He doesn't know why, heck, he's as confused as Hinata is, when he leans down to kiss her knuckles.

Softly.

He kisses her knuckles, he kisses her fingers and hands as if they are far more worth than any art in the world. With tender and care.

Sasuke blames it on the booze.

If after this night, Hinata claims to have seen him blush bright pink, Sasuke would deny it.

Without a doubt and without hesitation.

He would reject the idea, and say that the bottles of booze they drank before partaking in their seemingly heated and enjoyable sexual activity, was cause of it.

He would say, and will say, it was just messing with their heads.

Hinata, although small and not luminous enough, smiles. She pulls away but only to come closer to Sasuke.

To hold his face in her hands once more and risk the bold chance to lean her head against his. "I question the idea of you."

"You shouldn't."

"But I do and it's foolish." Hinata whispers. It's foolish for her hopeful heart that perhaps she can change Sasuke's stoic approach. She doesn't want to change him, she wants to make him want to change willingly. To be better. To allow himself to entertain the idea of allowing warmth into his heart.

Hinata questions Sasuke because he says one thing and acts the opposite. And she would be foolish to not notice the small gestures he hesitates but offers to her.

It confuses Hinata, as much as it fires up the hope in her aching heart

"I wonder what makes you Sasuke Uchiha and why." Hinata closes in and chases after Sasuke's lips. She wants nothing more than to kiss him right now. She yearns for it.

But Sasuke stops her. He pulls and moves away, far enough to keep a safe distance between them.

And it hurts.

The look of pain and anguish. The look of hurt and devastation. The same look Sasuke hates stares back at him.

And suddenly the thought of asking her to stay, starts to sound like a horrible idea. He should've just kept his mouth shut.

Hinata doesn't speak. Doesn't say anything. She stands still and stares. She looks at Sasuke with these eyes that tug at his conscience.

"I'm sorry." Hinata steps away and before Sasuke can even think of telling Hinata to leave and not come back, Hinata is already walking to her side of the bed. She makes herself at home because the routine of their one night stands has allowed her mind and body to get used to the idea of sleeping next to Sasuke.

"I didn't mean to upset you. It's the booze talking." Hinata tries to ease the tension evidently clear in Sasuke's displeasure. "We should sleep."

"Hinata, we need to-"

Hinata denies with a pout. "No, we need to sleep. We're drunk. Just ignore it." Hinata smiles softly.

Sasuke is still and only moves when Hinata reaches to tug at his arm.

She pulls Sasuke to her. "I tend to get loose lipped with booze." When Sasuke settles into bed with her, Hinata pulls the covers over them.

Laying with her, Sasuke can't help but think that this isn't a great idea.He should get up. He should ask Hinata to leave. But he doesn't.

He doesn't do anything, because as soon as he thinks about acting out on his plan, Hinata wraps her arm around him and snuggles closer to him.

She pulls him close and tucks her head just under his neck.

"Sleep. Don't think so much." Hinata kisses the patch of skin in her reach.

She knows how good it makes Sasuke feel. How small kisses to the skin are enough to ease his tension and wash his lingering thoughts away. She feels the goosebumps on his skin surface.

Her body searches for Sasuke's warmth, and who is he to deny what his body also craves.

Hinata allows herself to smiles when Sasuke places his own hand just above her hip, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb.

He tries to ignore the, always so present, butterflies that have made their home in him, permanently.

At least, when he's around Hinata.

And Sasuke, can not, no matter how much his mind resists and rejects the idea, help himself.

He pulls Hinata close. He pulls her in close, and wraps his arms around her like a child does with their favorite stuff doll when they're terrified of the dark.

He's a hypocrite.

He knows. But there's something about stopping someone who you have no control over, and stopping but also allowing yourself to have control and act out, that's pleasing.

He also can't resist. He places small kisses on Hinata's hair. Allowing himself to enjoy what little he can.

He inhales her sweet lilac scent, tainted with booze and their after sex scent.

He smiles, ever so slightly, and settles down to drift off into utter ignorance. To the blissful dreams grown from want rather than need.

Sasuke will never admit to his fear. He could never admit to his distress, much less confront it head on, or even worse, tell someone else, like Hinata.

To confine in her that he fears being alone, as much as he fears falling in love. That he fears trusting let alone trusting someone who holds an ounce of his heart.

Because then, she'll use it against him like the others. It's always been the same.

I hope you enjoyed the introduction to this story! I would appreciate any and all comments.