บท 11: Chapter 11
Saturday morning arrived quickly and I awoke feeling completely renewed. Today was the first day all of us would train together as a group. Not only did Kakashi want us to hurry along for the sake of our group's synergy, but Tenten also begged him to let us out tonight. I could just picture her convincing him she was holding a team building event when really we were going to the club.
Still half-asleep, I trudged my way into the bathroom and climbed into the shower after warming it up. I was slightly nervous about tonight, but I'll be with everyone else so hopefully it won't be that bad. My biggest concern was making sure Sakura didn't sneak off with some creep. A frown slipped onto my lips. Even after coming clean to us about her issues, she didn't want to give up on her plan.
After about ten minutes, I heard a scream of terror and laughed. The girl in question must've just woken up and realized she was running behind. Not a moment later did she come busting through the bathroom door, "Why'd you let me sleep in!"
I nearly choked trying to muffle my laughs. Her hair was everywhere and her makeup from yesterday, which she obviously forgot to take off, was smeared every which way across her face. She snickered back at me, shaking her head, "Shut up."
She seemed to be in a much better mood today and for that I was thankful. Things were slightly awkward yesterday as we tiptoed around the topic of her anxiety. I didn't like it when my friends weren't happy.
Once we were both ready to go it was time for us to head down to our first co-ed singing practice with Jiraiya. We didn't see or hear from the boys, but continued downstairs anyway. As we walked, Sakura spoke in a quiet voice so no one would hear but me, "We should pull a prank on the guys sometime."
There was a sudden jab on my side and I jumped in response to the tickling sensation. Tenten's cheerful face appeared following the physical assault and she cackled, "Haha! You should go into their rooms while they're sleeping and put makeup on them. Make sure to record it so we can release the videos later. Your fans will get a kick out of it!"
Sakura and I laughed with her as we entered the practice room. Sasuke and Gaara were waiting with Jiraiya as he gave them some instruction. The piano playing stopped and the vocal coach greeted us with a smile, "Right on time, I like it!" Tenten instructed us to stand boy girl boy girl, with the order being me, Sasuke, Sakura, then Gaara.
"Before we start practice, I want to give you all some bad news."
We all looked up at Tenten's guilty face and waited. She threw her hands out dramatically, "Kakashi wouldn't let you all leave the agency tonight unless I invited Karin." There goes the light-hearted mood.
Sakura argued instantly, "Why would he do that when he knows that Suigetsu's her boyfriend?"
Jiraiya intervened because it seemed he'd been present when that conversation took place, "The deal the Uzumaki's have made with the agency's going to give you an edge when it comes to publicity. Kakashi has informed Karin and her parents that if any ill-will comes from her, the deal will be off." That relaxed me a bit, if only just slightly. At least there's something on the line that might keep Karin from being so terrible.
I glanced over at Sakura to see how she was taking the news and unfortunately she seemed uncomfortable. She stared straight ahead as if trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. Gaara was doing the same. I looked up to see Sasuke's glare pointed down at me, to which I replied with an inquisitive look.
Tenten clapped her hands excitedly, drawing all of our attention, "Let's get started!"
Jiraiya looked between all of us and sighed as if praying for patience before beginning to play the notes for warm up exercises. I couldn't really get a feel for the guys' voices because we were just warming up, but I still felt nervous with the unfamiliar deeper voices mixing with mine and Sakura's. I've never sang with a male before, but hoped to impress both my teammates and trainers.
It was as if we'd all met for the first time again. We're all so used to practicing alone that it felt alien to have other voices joining in. The others glanced around every so often with curious looks and I caught myself doing the same. That's what this practice was for, though: to get comfortable singing with one another.
Once we were finished warming up, Tenten wanted to get right into it with the first song of our album, called Never See Your Face Again. We each had our sheet music marked with who was to sing when and stood stiffly as Jiraiya started playing.
Sasuke started off the first part. His voice seemed to be very developed. He obviously had a very broad range, vocally. There was a prideful air about him when he was singing that had me struggling not to stare in wonder.
Sasuke: Now as the summer fades, I'll let you slip away
You say I'm not your type, but I can make you sway
It makes me burn to learn you're not the only one
I'll let you be if you put down your blazing gun
Sakura came in next with Gaara and me on backup vocals
Sakura: Now you've gone somewhere else far away
I don't know if I will find you
Gaara and Hinata:(find you, find you)
Sakura: But you feel my breath on your neck
Can't believe I'm right behind you
Gaara and Hinata: (right behind you)
We all took part in the chorus.
Gaara and Sasuke: 'Cause you keep me coming back for more
And I feel a little better than I did before
All: And if I never see your face again, I don't mind
'Cause we got much further than I thought we'd get tonight
It was finally my turn to sing, Gaara and I playing tennis with our lines for the second verse. I bit back my fear, closed my eyes, and sang the notes I've been practicing for days. Luckily, I'd gotten a bit more used to singing in front of others over the past week.
Hinata: Sometimes you move so well it's hard not to give in
Gaara: I'm lost; I can't tell where you end and I begin
Hinata: It makes me burn to learn you're with another man
Gaara: I wonder if he's half the lover that I am
There was a muffled squeal and my eyes shot open to see Tenten jumping up and down with a goofy grin on her face. She gave me an energetic thumbs up and walked around the room as we continued the song, dancing a little here and there. Sasuke continued next with the rest of us singing backup.
Sasuke: Now you've gone somewhere else far away
I don't know if I will find you
Gaara/Hinata/Sakura: (find you, find you)
Sasuke: But you feel my breath on your neck
Can't believe I'm right behind you
Gaara/Hinata/Sakura: (right behind you)
Sakura and I sang the next chorus alone, her singing alto notes and me singing soprano so the chorus popped a bit more than before.
Sakura and Hinata: 'Cause you keep me coming back for more
And I feel a little better than I did before
And if I never see your face again, I don't mind
'Cause we got much further than I thought we'd get tonight
Gaara sang the bridge, with Sasuke backing him. You could tell he was a rapper by the way he sang, but it still sounded good. His singing voice was much firmer than his speaking voice.
Gaara: Baby, baby, please believe me
Find it in your heart to reach me
Promise not to leave me behind
Sasuke:(Promise not to leave me behind)
Sakura sang the second part of the bridge with Sasuke and me singing backup for her and I felt my nerves building up since I had a big note coming up. I took a deep breath and imagined I was in my room in the shower singing.
Sakura: Take me back, but take it easy
Make me think, but don't deceive me
Talk to me by taking your time
Sasuke and Hinata: (Talk to me, talk to me)
Sakura and Gaara continued with the next chorus, Sasuke and I eventually joined in to finish out the song.
Sakura: 'Cause you keep me coming back for more
And I feel a little better than I did before
Sakura and Gaara: And if I never see your face again, I don't mind
'Cause we got much further than I thought we'd get tonight
All: 'Cause you keep me coming back for more
And I feel a little better than I did before
And if I never see your face again, I don't mind
'Cause we got much further than I thought we'd get tonight
The song finished and the room was silent for just a moment as Jiraiya turned to look over at us. We stood tense, waiting for them to offer feedback. Tenten suddenly shouted with glee, jumping up and down, "That was amazing!"
She stopped as quickly as she'd started, a serious look on her face as she daringly grabbed Sasuke by his shoulders and shook him, looking at all of us, "One thing though: Why are you all so stiff? You don't stand like this when you sing at home, do you? Move around! Dance! Do whatever you feel like doing!"
My cheeks were starting to heat up a bit. Most of my singing was done in the shower, so all I could picture in my head was showering in front of everyone in the room. Sasuke's glare darkened at Tenten until she released him, then he went over to stand against the wall, one foot against it. Gaara walked a little bit away and waited for the next song to start, Sakura following suit but in a different direction.
That left me clutching my sheet music in panic, not knowing what to do with myself. Tenten put her hands on her hips and stared at me, "Loosen up, Hinata. If I see you standing there stiffly again, I'm gonna kiss you on the mouth."
A snort escaped Sakura and a small squeak of surprise slipped past my lips. I turned my back to the popstar with nothing but a cloud in my brain and blood rushing to my face. Jiraiya started playing the next song, called Up.
As we sang this time, Sasuke would sometimes tap his foot or move his hands with the notes he was singing. Sakura danced around a little with the choreography that would go with this song, but not full out. Gaara walked around casually, eyes closed for the most part. After about a minute into the song, I heard Tenten bark, "Hinata! My lips are ready! I hope you like cherry chapstick!" Sakura started laughing in the middle of the line she was singing and I quickly started taking a few tentative steps around the room, avoiding eye contact with anyone else.
It felt very awkward and unnatural until it was my turn to sing. Once I started singing, everything felt more at ease. My feet and hands moved on their own and the discomfort from before left the room. Once the song ended, Tenten sighed, "That's a damn shame. I wanted to see if all Hyugas are good kissers."
My gaze shot to her in surprise, face just as red as before. Even Jiraiya let out a small laugh at her comment. Tenten winked at me before turning to Gaara to give him some instruction.
While they talked, I glanced at Sakura. She gave me a bright smile and walked over to me so she could link her arm in mine and whisper, "Sasuke's been staring at you all morning. Did you make him mad or something?"
I couldn't stop myself from stealing a peek in his direction. Sure enough, his dark eyes were focused on me. I wouldn't say he was staring though. It was more of a glare. He seemed upset with me, but I couldn't figure out why. I shook my head at Sakura and she gave me a flirty look before skipping back away from me as Tenten came back to center to let Jiraiya take over. We continued our vocal practice until we'd gone through the entire album twice, minus our solo songs.
We were released from practice to take lunch. I turned toward Sasuke to ask him what was wrong, but he pointedly ignored me and left the room. The way his eyes looked over me with displeasure made me feel the same way I do when my father gave me a similar look. I was reminded of the conversation Hiashi and I had at the hospital and couldn't stop my mood from dampening.
Sakura came up next to me and linked her arm to mine again, "Let's go eat. I'm starving!" I nodded and allowed her to lead me toward the door only to feel like a complete jerk for forgetting Gaara.
I turned, stalling Sakura slightly, "Hey, wanna come to lunch with us?" The redhead looked between Sakura and I cautiously before nodding and grabbing his things so he could follow us out. Sakura got quiet, but I took it as her being hangry.
We headed up to our room where we proceeded to have a painfully silent and uncomfortable lunch. The two dancers kept stealing awkward glances at one another and I didn't have the courage to ask them what was wrong. We were all going out to have fun tonight and I didn't want to ruin the good time before it even started.
Sasuke didn't join us and I didn't hear anything from him until we'd finished up lunch and arrived in the dance practice room where he and Tsunade were doing some stretches. I caught his gaze and tilted my head as if to ask him what his deal was, but again he looked away as if he hadn't seen it.
We joined in to let Tsunade finish leading the stretches before she clapped her hands in a business-like manner with her usual grimace, "Let's start with the hardest song and go from there, shall we?"
My heart sank. We're going to dance to Familiar? She already told me Sasuke would be my partner for that song. With him seeming angry at me, it didn't seem like a good idea at the moment.
"Go ahead and get into place with your partners."
Panic stiffened my motions, but I forced myself to go and stand next to the Uchiha. I busied my hands by pulling my hair up into a ponytail so I wouldn't fiddle with them nervously. I snuck a glance over at him only to see him looking at my hair. Oh god. He probably thinks I look weird with it up.
I took a shaky breath. Get it together, Hinata. This is just Sasuke. Granted, this Sasuke was in an unusually bad mood, but it was still him. He hadn't even tried to flirt with me to make me angry or anything today. Regardless of his mindset, I had to pull myself together and get through this. We're going to be stuck together for two years so we'd eventually be comfortable dancing together so why not try my best to make it sooner rather than later?
"Just as we've practiced. Sasuke and Hinata, sing along to the music and adjust your energy levels so you can sing and dance at the same time. Gaara and Sakura, this is the song where your dance skill is showcased the most so do your very best."
I turned to look at Sasuke, who rolled his eyes and stepped toward me. He firmly placed a hand on the curve of my back as I leaned back, neck and back arched in a dramatic pose. I lifted my leg with my toes pointed, as practiced, and his other hand came up to rest on the back of my calf gently.
There was so much tension and heat in between us that I couldn't help but feel incredibly attracted to him. Where his hands touched my body felt a hundred degrees warmer than everything else. He was looking down at me, posed as we'd been instructed, with a darker shade over his gaze. I couldn't determine what emotion he was portraying, but whatever it was seemed to be intense.
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to breathe through my anxiety. This is strictly business. We're dance partners, nothing more. Everything needs to be professional and perfect.
Tsunade hit play on the remote, causing me to look over and see her go to lean against the mirror so she could watch us, arms crossed. The music wasn't as loud as it normally was so we could hear ourselves sing.
I started to sing and Sasuke guided my leg down, leading me into an array of sexy dance moves. I did my best to think only of the performance, but it was hard to ignore his precise touches. His hands were so firm against me it threw me for a loop. No one's ever had this much physical contact with me with my consent. I could feel the heat coming off his body. He was so close.
His breath was sticky against the back of my neck and it was almost too much to handle. I couldn't stop the shiver that ran through my body. His breath hitched in response and my legs nearly gave out. The previously gentle hands wrapped firmly around my waist to keep me upright and brought me back to Earth. Was Tsunade going to yell at us for messing up?
"I like the improv Sasuke! Keep it up!" She shouted over the music.
I turned my head to the side to look at his face, which was very close since he was leaning forward over my shoulder as part of the dance. I brought my hand up to wrap my fingers through his hair, all part of the dance. His hair may be a tousled mess, styled of course, but it was the softest thing I think I've ever felt.
We were both a bit sweaty, but kept going through the performance. After another minute or so of being miles away from my comfort zone, the song ended and I was left breathing hard.
Sasuke's hands stayed on my hips after the song cut off and that's all I could focus on until Tsunade told us to get a drink. My vision was slightly cloudy, but other than that I was quite proud of myself. A week ago I would've fainted at the mere thought of being as close to any man like that, much less Sasuke.
I squatted near my bag and pulled out my water bottle. Sakura came up next to me with a face that had to be pretty similar to mine. I gave her a knowing look and she shook her head before tilting her head back to get a big swig of her drink. Sasuke grabbed his water bottle and stood away from us with his glare on the wall across the room. I looked over to see Gaara in a similar position as Sasuke, but his brows were furrowed in concentration as he gazed at the tiles on the floor. What's going on with these boys today?
We eventually gravitated back to the middle of the room to wait for Tsunade to give us further instruction. She didn't hesitate to start coaching us.
"Sakura and Gaara, your dancing is impeccable, but the fact that you didn't look each other in the eye the entire time is keeping you from taking it to the next level." I looked over to see Sakura nod her head absently as if she was taking notes but wasn't happy about it.
"Sasuke and Hinata, you don't look attracted to each other at all, which is terrible for this type of dance. You look uncomfortable."
She came up to us and instructed me to stand in front of Sasuke like we would in the middle of the dance. She counted the steps slowly so we could perform the dance step by step for her. While we danced, she moved our hands here and there, saying things like, "Touch him here, smile right here, and don't be afraid to get into it."
She was right. Sasuke and I were both very stiff and obviously not at ease with one another. We technically got the moves right, but it didn't look as good as it would if we were more comfortable. Once she was satisfied we'd taken her comments to heart, she told us to restart the song.
I looked Sasuke in the eye and got back into our starting pose. He stared back down at me with that same darkened gaze. I whispered to him in a hopeful voice, "We've got this!" and immediately regretted it because he seemed to snap out of his angry mood. His usual flirty smirk slowly crept up to his lips and he gave me a wink, whispering back, "Don't be such a prude, Hyuga, you heard Tsunade."
He was taking a jab at my lack of sexual prowess, naturally. Of course I wouldn't be familiar with movements like these! Annoyance's familiar itch rolled through my body as the song began and I glared at him as we started dancing.
He made sure to touch me just a moment longer than necessary each time and would be sure I could feel his body close behind me. He was teasing me! A part of me honestly preferred the quiet Sasuke because at least then it was just my fault for being embarrassed. Now, he was making sure to torture me as much as possible. While it made me nervous, it also made me angry and I feel like that helped me overcome some of the fear when it came to being close.
Once the song ended, Tsunade clapped her hands a few times, "That's more like it, both couples! Let's move on!" I wasted no time creating distance between Sasuke and I. He snickered as I moved several feet away.
The rest of dance practice went fairly smoothly. We all, luckily, had the majority of our dances memorized and only had to focus on perfecting them. As we were finishing our last run through of Never See Your Face Again, Tenten burst through the door in a panic. Tsunade rolled her eyes at her and gestured for us to go ahead and leave while she shut down the sound system.
Tenten was dressed to the nines. She wore a pale pink dress with a very low plunging neckline, a bare back, and ended barely covering her essentials. She had straightened her usually curly hair, making it even longer, and paired her outfit with matte red pumps and a matching handbag. We all gathered our things as she bellowed, "Hurry up, Hurry up! You all have to shower and get dressed before 9!" It was already seven so that didn't leave much time.
She didn't bother hiding her intentions for the night from Tsunade, who'd guessed long ago that this wasn't going to be something she wanted to know about and left the room shaking her head in annoyance.
We were ushered upstairs where Tenten pushed me into her dorm and shoved me into her bathroom, "Shower here! I'll be back with clothes!" I stood confused with papers and a bag of bottled water clutched in my arms for a moment and listened to the commotion outside as she shouted orders to the other three. Knowing I'd better follow what she'd asked and knowing Tenten's crazy mind, I got undressed so I could take a shower.
As I was waiting for the water to warm up, the door to the bathroom opened and I screamed bloody murder. Ino screamed and rushed into the room, "Oh my God, Hinata!" I scurried to cover myself with a towel, unable to respond verbally.
Ino kept on screaming, "Your tits are huge what the fuck!"
Tenten came bursting through the door to her room and started laughing hysterically while holding onto a bewildered Ino's arm, not even shutting the door to the hallway. I quickly jumped into the shower, "G-Get out!"
After a few moments, Tenten's laughter subsided and Ino's voice continued more softly, "Hinata, for real though, what do you eat for every meal? I need a list." Tenten cackled again before I heard her dragging the blond out of the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. I lightly hit my forehead against the wall below the shower head. These people are going to give me a heart attack one of these days.
After showering up, I waited for Tenten to bring me clothes for about fifteen minutes before realizing she most likely wasn't coming to save me for some reason. I'd done most of my makeup while I was waiting, but still needed to dry my hair.
I crept out of the bathroom and glimpsed over the room. It appeared to be vacant. After peeking out into the hall to make sure no one was coming, I stepped out with just my towel around me. The door to Tenten's room quickly slammed behind me and I heard Ino's laughter from behind it.
Panic struck through me like a lightning bolt and I hurried across the hall to the door to my room, only to realize that it was locked as well. I banged on it loudly, terrified that someone would step out of the elevator any minute and see me in such an indecent state, "Sakura! Let me in!"
My fears were realized when the familiar ding of the elevator arriving on our floor rang through the air and Tenten's snickering could be heard behind the door. My instincts had me sprinting to Gaara and Sasuke's room and bursting through the door, slamming it shut behind me while clutching my towel tight with my free hand.
I took a second before raising my eyes to look at the room in front of me, just knowing I wouldn't like any possible outcome of this situation. As I expected, Sasuke was standing with an amused look on his face at the island in the kitchen. It looked like he was drinking already, from the dark appearance of the liquid in his glass. Was he already twenty-one or did someone buy him some?
He was wearing a dark gray button-up shirt with black dress pants. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone and his hair was slicked back a bit since it was damp from his shower. I could hear water running so Gaara had to be taking his turn bathing. The Uchiha raised his glass to take another sip of his drink without saying a word, just letting his eyes dance over my appearance with a smug grin on his face. I didn't have the slightest idea of how to handle this situation and kind of stood there doe-eyed until Sasuke sat his drink down and leaned onto the counter.
I caught a good glimpse down his shirt and Sakura was right, he had some very nice muscles hiding there. He rested his hand on his fist and spoke up. It was obvious that he'd already had a drink or two by how relaxed he seemed, "Welcome to our humble abode, Hyuga princess."
I squeezed my eyes shut in embarrassment, "P-please don't do this, Sasuke. I just want to go get dressed. They locked me out."
The man let out a deep chuckle, the hairs on my arms standing up in response to the attractive sound, "You don't have to lie. I know you just wanted me to see you like that."
My eyes shot open into a glare towards him, "Not true, S-Sasuke!"
He walked around the counter and toward me, making me shake in my hypothetical boots at what he might do, out of nervousness more than fear. He towered over me with a hand placed flat on the door above my head. He leaned forward to look me in the eye. I could kind of smell the liquor on his breath, but it was nothing compared to that amazing cologne he wore, "Why don't you like me, Hyuga?"
What? I thought he didn't like me.
I temporarily forgot where we were and what I was wearing, or not wearing to be more clear, "What do you mean? I do like you, Sasuke. We're friends."
He gave me an odd look before glancing down at my towel, making my hold on it tighten. His eyes came back up to meet mine and he opened his mouth to say something, but Gaara stepped out of the bathroom with just a towel around his hips and I buried my face in my hands. I wasn't quick enough to not see the soft muscles that textured his torso and arms. I'd have to tell Sakura about this or she'd kill me.
He quickly took notice of me and crossed his arms in an attempt to hide his body, "H-hinata! What's going-" His gaze went to Sasuke's confident stance towering over me and put two and two together, "They locked you out, didn't they?"
I nodded and looked between him and Sasuke with a pleading look. Sasuke let out a sigh before removing himself from over me and reaching around to pull the door open. I stepped out of the way so it didn't hit me and followed him over to my room. He banged on the door, yelling in an annoyed voice, "Open the damn door." The click of the lock immediately met our ears and he gestured to the door as if he'd done a magic trick before dead-panning and heading back to his own room.
I rushed through the door and shot glares at the two girls who were rolling with laughter. Tonight was going to be a long one.
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