i lied, this is mostly writing

Ah, there she was - the embodiment of life.

His counterpart.

He would never grow tired of seeing her, watching her celebrate her creations as they came into the world, and how she mourned them when they passed.

She gave and he took, and together, they balanced the universe.

His only regret was that he had to do so from afar. They had great history between them, but he feared that she would grow to resent him for his duty.

Thus, he pushed her away before that could happen.

Despite his attempts at distance, it seemed he was tethered to her. He was compelled to keep watch over her from a distance.

It was illogical. Nonsensical.

She didn't need protecting. They were immortal beings and could not be influenced by worldly dangers.

He supposed… he supposed he felt a strong connection towards her, the only other being that has been a constant in this never ending existence.

A sigh escaped him, a very human-like action that displayed nostalgia, longing, fatigue. He always got like this when he thought about her.

Unable to get her out of his conscious, he continued to observe her instead.

She sat near the remains of the tree, running her hand over the fresh, exposed wood and leaving soft moss and ferns on the surface.

Her back was turned to him, so he could not see her face, but she must have been crying. The sudden bloom of lavender orchids in the dirt beneath her betrayed her tears. She was grieving, as he expected she would.

Seeing her in pain tugged at him. It made him wish he did not have to take away the things she loved so dearly.

"Sasuke."

Her gentle voice rang as clear as a bell and he was taken back.

He hadn't heard his true name spoken aloud in millennia. It was forgotten with time, as people began to see death as an omen, rather than a god.

Not to mention the fact that they hadn't spoken in years, possibly centuries. It was hard to keep track when the concept of time was inconsequential.

She rose to her full height, nearly rivaling the surrounding trees, and turned around - her eyes as piercing as he remembered… Pale and iridescent, they rooted him in place.

Her step was light; the only indication of her presence were the emerging sprouts beneath her bare feet as she approached.

He waited in anticipation for her to strike out at him. To tell him off, anything. He expected her to do anything but embrace him.

The touch sent a shock through his system. She was so warm. Like the first rays of sun after a long, treacherous night.

His arms lay prone at his side, the sheer intensity of feeling overwhelmed him and rendered him motionless.

"I don't resent you for what you do."

Pulling back (much to his dismay), she stared deeply into his eyes. So much so that it seemed she was peering into his soul. If he had one, that is.

She had missed his eyes the most. They were endlessly black, much like The Beyond from which they were born. But there was so much more in those irises - there were millions of pin pricks of light shining in them; stars, she thought. Or maybe the souls that he helped release.

"I have accepted you and your duty long ago… You mustn't feel guilty about it," her tone conveyed genuine emotion, "You have to put these beings at rest so I can bring new ones in."

She smiled, enhancing her already brilliant glow, as she stroked his cheek. Small, delicate flowers were left in the wake of her touch, blossoming briefly before decaying into dust.

"It is a necessary and beautiful cycle."

He tentatively brought his own hand to her cheek and mirrored her actions, marveling at the sensation of touch.

They were ethereal, unable to interact with anything on the physical plane. As one can imagine, this led to a very lonely existence.

"I've missed you," he breathed, his voice cracking from misuse.

"Hinata, I've missed you so much."

Her smile became forlorn and she took hold of his hands, gripping them firmly.

"I'm right here." She stepped in closer, until they were mere inches apart. "I always have been."

Although he had been around since the beginning of time, he was no good with expressing himself. So he pulled her close, tucking her form into his, and hoped she understood.

Her arms wrapped around him in return and he could feel her let out a deep exhale. It was the sigh of relief from someone who came home after a long trip.

'She did,' he thought.

She always seemed to understand him.

Some days, he felt damned. He would wonder why he was stuck performing this thankless job for eternity.

But in this moment, he was grateful. For the countless centuries he spent loathing this existence, he finally found something that was worth it. And he would hold on to it as long as he possibly could - until the sun burned out and rendered everything obsolete, or until the universe finally caved in on itself.

Because they were Life and Death.

The Hyuuga sisters were sitting on Hinata's bed and relaxing in each other's company, as they missed each other dearly. The younger of the two just completed the semester and was now entirely free to catch up.

"Tell me everything," Hanabi propped her head up with her palms and gave Hinata her full attention. "Every detail of everything you did this past year."

Hinata giggled. "I'll try my best." She paused to think before excitement lit her features. "Oh! I made a new friend!"

Her sister grinned in response, happy for Hinata.

"I met him through mutual friends, at this coffee -"

She interrupted, "Wait, did you say him?"

"Yes?" Lavender eyes narrowed in questioning.

Hanabi's brows wiggled suggestively. "Pictures, pictures," she demanded.

A faint blush colored her cheeks at the teasing, "Hanabi, two of my best friends are guys."

"Yeah but you practically grew up with Shino and Kiba, I know you don't like like them. Now show me." She was insistent, eager to see who her sister was spending time with. Hinata barely posted about herself on social media, mostly posting about food, places, or cute animals. When they texted, the college student would mention hanging out with new people, but Hanabi assumed they were more acquaintances than anything since she didn't gush about them. Lastly, she was shy, which made it harder for her to make close friends.

Never able to refuse her baby sister, Hinata pulled out her phone and scrolled though her photo album. She chose to display a candid of Sasuke she took on a whim. That day, they sat next to a window in the library and she momentarily glanced up from her notes to her study partner, only to be stunned by the sight.

He was ethereal.

With dusk approaching, the lighting illuminated his high cheekbones and strong jaw; his skin was practically glowing. Not to mention his hair... The setting sun's rays did justice to the normally solid raven tresses, lending them an unnatural radiance. He was relaxed, mouth barely parted, and admiring the forest that bordered their side of the library. Although she preferred his rare genuine smile, she found herself strangely attached to his calm countenance as well.

It was her favorite photo of him... For artistic purposes, of course.

Hanabi clutched her arm and emphatically declared, "He's hot."

Dodging the statement, she grinned and cocked her head. "You're fourteen, he's too old."

The high school student rolled her eyes, grumbling something about being born at the wrong time. "Go on with your story," she pressed.

Hinata continued, relaying how they met to their studying and gradual friendship – they sat together in physics lecture and frequented downtown Konoha on the weekends, exploring a new place each time. She told her how she owed Sasuke her life for his physics help, but she would make it up to him when they took chemistry together in the upcoming fall semester. Chemistry was her favorite subject, and for good reason, because she wanted to become a pharmacist.

"Wow," Hanabi breathed out. "Does he have a brother? It's obvious he's all yours."

"What? No, it's not -"

Ignoring her sister's protests and ruffled behavior, she continued. "You two will have the most beautiful kids." Sniffling, she pretended to dab away non-existent tears, "My Hinata is all grown up!"

Looking beyond the exaggerations, Hinata pondered. What if her words had merit? She hadn't really considered Sasuke in that light before, enjoying his friendship too much to even think about turning it into a relationship. Her pulse unexpectedly quickened at the thought of that change.

No, he was far too handsome to even look at her romantically. Way out of her league, she decided. More often than not, she was on the receiving end of angry, jealous, and even devastated glances when they went out. She wished she could wave a sign around that stated, in bold and large font, that they weren't together. Though he's never complained to her about it, she worried she was ruining Sasuke's chances at dating by spending so much time with him and casting the false image that he was taken.

And several times during the semester, she's seen Sasuke approached by stunning girls with legs for miles and the occasional boy, equally as beautiful, while waiting alone at their designated meet up spot. Each instance, she watched him easily reject the person and then scan the area for her, making a quick getaway upon spotting her. She secretly wondered why he dismissed these gorgeous strangers; if he turned them down, maybe it was because he was holding out to date someone even more beautiful, if possible.

He was a bit peevish when that happened so she would tease him for being popular, famous even. "Maybe you could model, your dashing good looks will make you rich and you wouldn't have to live on a college student budget."

Throwing an arm around her shoulders, he briefly squeezed her for the cheeky behavior. "No thanks. I'd rather live on a college student budget than be chased by rabid fans that only want me for my appearance."

She laughed and leaned into him, comfortable in his embrace. "I'm sure they'll be charmed when they find out about your casual indifference and frequent brooding."

Now it was his turn to huff in amusement. "Those are my most attractive features."

Her mind wandered out of the memory and into the present, where Hanabi was still discussing the children that would result from her and Sasuke's union.

"Do you think they'll have pale or dark eyes? Or what if one was black and the other white? Hmm."

Hinata's cheeks turned a lovely scarlet, which her sister picked up on. "Looks like you're curious about your future kids too."

"Hanabi!" She admonished. "I'm only nineteen and if things work out, I'll be a full-time student for the next seven years." Then she added, almost as an afterthought. "And Sasuke and I are friends."

"Not for long…" the girl muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing," she dismissed and cleared her throat. "Now about his brother?"

"Definitely not, he's at least ten years older than you," Hinata asserted with a no-nonsense tone. Age gaps didn't faze her if both parties were of the age of consent, but Hanabi was barely fourteen. Changing the subject, she asked, "What happened to Konohamaru?"

Hanabi's shift in attitude was so immediate, it was almost concerning - from disappointed to wrathful in a split second.

"That punk," she began with a sour expression.

Hinata grabbed a pillow and reclined to a more comfortable position. She had a feeling this story would be a long one.

The first thing he did when he woke up in the morning was check his phone. Yes, he admitted to himself, the new habit was because of Hinata. He'd be a dirty liar if he said he didn't enjoy texting her. In fact, he looked forward to it, to learning obscure facts about her like her aversion to shrimp.

Luckily, he had a new message notification from Hinata. Since her name meant "place in the sun," she was saved in his phone with none other than a sun emoji. It was fitting for the bright girl. Plus, he knew that she saved his name with a tomato emoji and he wanted to do the same for her.

He opened her message, which read:

"Your birthday is coming up! We should do something to celebrate!"

Frankly, he had forgotten about it until she mentioned it. He didn't really care for his birthday; the excitement of aging wore off in his early teens. But if she was delighted over it, he wouldn't rain on her parade.

"yeah? are you going to come down to konoha for my birthday?"

"I could :) What's a few hours on the train to visit one of my best friends?"

Astonished, Sasuke reread her reply several times, to be sure he was seeing it correctly. Would she really do that? For him?

Maybe he would actually have something to look forward to this year.

Okay, play it cool, Uchiha.

"if you insist (smirking emoji)"

She laughed. He was always so aloof, or at least he acted like it.

"I do! What do you want to do on your day of birth?"

"eat you out"

Her jaw dropped, pale eyes nearly bugging out of her skull. She wasn't quite sure what to say, seeing as her brain short circuited at his forwardness.

Not a second later, he corrected himself in a succession of rapid texts.

"SHIT take you out like to a restaurant or something fucking auto correct i'm so sorry"

Sasuke threw his phone to the other side of the mattress in frustration, where it collided with a pillow. Burying his burning face in his hands, he groaned. God, he sounded like some kind of fuckboy. He hadn't seen her in two months and he was just trying to make plans with her, then he had to go and make it weird! Not to mention, there was a familiar discomfort in his boxers when his other head fixated upon the faux pas.

Rolling onto his side, he lamented over her reaction, which would certainly be negative. She would think he was a pervert, she would be disgusted with him, she would -

His phone buzzed its familiar vibration and he instantly lunged for it. Although he dreaded opening the text, curiosity compelled him.

"lmao (laughing emoji) It's okay"

The breath he didn't know he was holding left in a sudden woosh. Thank goodness for her mercy. Hinata really was a ray of sunshine.

Meanwhile, she was in tears, cracking up over the misunderstanding. She clutched her stomach as side-splitting laughter wracked her body. Neji even knocked on her door, asking if things were alright, to which she barely wheezed out a yes.

Her brand of humor was not usually this crude, but she felt that this was too good not to enjoy. Sasuke never slipped up and it was amusing to catch him flustered - if only she could see the look on his face right now.

To diffuse some of the anxiety he was sure to be experiencing, she added on:

"Where do you have in mind?"

Bouncing back from his initial searing embarrassment, he messaged back:

"there's a pretty good ramen place near my house"

By now, her hysterics had calmed down significantly and she could breathe easy again.

"Sounds good! I like ramen"

"and there's a really old shrine you might like it's over run with cats they're taken care of by local cat ladies"

She smiled. He remembered that one time she told him she liked shrines. Not necessarily for religious reasons, but for the historical architecture and calm atmosphere.

They proceeded to plan the rest of their day trip. She would get there on the first train and leave on the last train home so they could maximize their time together. Their itinerary included exploring various sites of Sasuke's side of Konoha. He lived on the outskirts, on the opposite side of town from the university, where it was more forest than city.

Itachi pondered upon what to do for the next hour and discovered a traditional Japanese cafe with great reviews online.

So he set off, rather eager to try their green tea and raved-about dango.

Upon entry, he surveyed the quaint shop. It was small, but homey, and there weren’t too many customers. He decided he liked it.

Oh? What’s this? What a pleasant surprise, it would appear that his brother was also at the cafe. Luckily, he was facing away from the door and didn’t notice Itachi’s entrance.

An expert at undercover missions and staying discreet, the detective chose the best vantage point to both spy on Sasuke and his “friend” and remain hidden from the man’s view.

The nagging thought that this was an invasion of his younger brother’s privacy lost against the strong urge to find out what was going on in Sasuke’s life. With his mind made up, Itachi acknowledged that he might have had a minor brother complex.

Situated with his tea and dessert, he took a bite out of his dango while casting furtive glances at the pair.

Pale irises? That girl looked familiar… ah, yes. She was a Hyuuga. His eidetic memory did not let him down; she was the eldest daughter to Hyuuga Hiashi and thus the heiress to the family enterprise, though it was rumored that she declined the position.

Hyuuga Hinata. Now what was his little brother doing with the Hyuuga princess?

Currently, the two were talking. If he could tell by the tired but relieved expression on her face, she was talking about how her final exams went.

Unfortunately, he was not close enough to hear their conversation and he could not analyze Sasuke’s reactions to her, with only a view of the back of his head.

At least he could observe the girl - wait did she just…? He fought to avoid dropping his stick of partially eaten dango.

He watched in shock as she fed Sasuke a piece of taiyaki, which he ate eagerly by the way he took it from her fingers. With his mouth.

The prodigy’s mind was spinning. Was this real life? Did he fall into an alternate dimension or did Uchiha Sasuke really let someone feed him in this manner? And sweets nonetheless? He hated sweets!

It was a good thing Itachi was already sitting because he may not have been able to support himself when he saw his brother push his mug towards her, gesturing for her to try the drink.

She took a tentative sip but pulled away quickly, her nose scrunching in distaste, probably from the bitterness. Sasuke liked his coffee black.

His shoulders shook from laughter upon her reaction and she made a face at him in retaliation to the teasing.

Their relationship struck him as very intimate and he didn’t need to be a professional investigator to deduce that. It was not often that Itachi was touched, but watching his normally aloof brother interact with this girl kindled warmth in his chest.

The voyeur continued to study the couple with a perverse sort of interest. This was an entirely new side of Sasuke that was emerging - a happy, carefree, love-struck boy.

The clock reported the time to be 3:17 but Sasuke was still engaged in conversation with his friend. It was likely they were parting ways for the summer and would not meet again until fall. Itachi did not have the heart to separate the two and only got up when they made the move to leave.

Not wanting his cover to be blown, he escaped swiftly. His police academy training came in handy, seeing as his quick stride took him to the car long before Sasuke.

Interestingly, the Hyuuga princess walked with Sasuke to the car. They stopped twenty feet behind the vehicle and Itachi was able to spy on them via the rearview mirror.

Her shoulders sagged as she looked up to her friend with sad doe eyes and a frown tugging at her mouth. She was obviously melancholy over their departure.

Sasuke placed his hands on her shoulders in a comforting gesture, then brought his face close to hers. Lips moving; he was telling her something. When he finished speaking, he kissed her forehead and tugged her to him for a tight hug. She returned the embrace with just as much enthusiasm, wrapping her arms around his wide torso.

Light pink flooded both of their cheeks when they separated.

They awkwardly bade goodbye and parted ways. When he began to walk to the car, Itachi whipped out his phone and pretended he was on it the whole time.

The passenger door opened and a dazed Sasuke climbed in. Robotically, he clicked his seat belt and turned to gaze at the retreating figure.

Itachi put the car in drive and waited until they left campus to inquire, “Was she the owner of the purple toothbrush?”

“Yeah,” he answered, still in some kind of stupor.

“Well?” Itachi’s tone was expectant. “What happened?”

Embarrassed at the fact that his older brother witnessed the exchange, Sasuke faced the window to hide his flush from the events that just transpired.

“Nothing,” he took a deep breath to calm his nerves, “We’re just friends.”

Itachi nodded in understanding, “I see. That’s quite different from how you treat your other friends.”

“She’s different.”

Buildings and trees turned into blurs as they crossed stretches of land to return home. He thought he would be excited for the summer to come, since he wouldn’t have class or have to deal with the havoc that came with living in one building occupied by a hundred other males. But as they got further away from the university, emptiness engulfed him like a chasm.

Sasuke rest his still warm cheek against the soothing glass of the window and almost drifted off from the ambience of the radio’s murmur and the muted sounds of driving.

“Do you want me to pick up some taiyaki from the store?” Itachi’s voice cut through his sleep addled mind.

“Huh?”

“Because it seems you like taiyaki now,” Itachi couldn’t keep the smirk off his face. Teasing Sasuke was one of his favorite past times because he regressed into a kid again; petulant, but lovable.

He nearly hit his head on the window when he shot up. “You watched us in the cafe?!”

The older Uchiha chuckled, “I just happened to stumble into the same cafe where my little brother was having a date with his pretty girlfriend.”

Sasuke was mortified. He knew his brother was a detective but he didn’t think Itachi would turn his sleuthing skills on him.

Flustered, Sasuke huffed and crossed his arms. “Can’t believe you spied on me,” he grumbled.

With his coal eyes still fixed on the road and one hand steady on the wheel, he managed to reach over and flick the pouting boy in the forehead.

“How could I possibly pass up an opportunity to spy on my dear little brother?” he needled. “Besides, you two make a cute couple.”

They passed a few streets before Sasuke replied bashfully.

"Aww, Sasuke's embarrassed," Naruto teased in a belittling voice, snapping him out of his reverie.

As much as he wanted to lean into the warmth of her palm, he did the opposite and returned to his homework. Her hand dropped back to her side and he secretly mourned the loss.

Letting his bangs fall over his eyes and obscure his features, he did what he did best and tuned out his surroundings.

He was in the midst of solving problem 28 when he felt familiar fingers sweep his bangs away from his face once again. Caught off guard, he reflexively turned to the person playing with his hair.

"Ah, wait," Hinata was careful not to tug on his scalp with his sudden movement.

He held still, waiting patiently for her to finish.

Despite his best efforts, a shiver traveled down his spine at her ministrations. He almost sighed in pleasure at how good it felt to have her running her fingers through his tresses.

Thinking she accidentally pulled too hard, she apologized. "Sorry, did that hurt?"

"No." Quite the opposite, actually, but he wouldn't dare say it out loud. He would gladly let her play with his hair as much as her heart desired. Hell, he would let her touch him anytime she wanted - no questions asked.

A light snore drew his attention to a sleeping blonde on the other side of the table. That was quick. Though Naruto never had the focus to study for long periods of time anyways.

As she gathered his hair in a ponytail, she whispered to avoid waking their friend up. "Sorry for making fun of you," he could tell she was smiling, "I actually thought you were cute."

She just finished tying the upper half of it back, since the rest was too short, when he turned around in his seat to look at her. "Were?" he emphasized the past tense with a tilt of his head.

"Don't fret, you still are," she assured him with a grin and a pat on the cheek.

Grabbing her wrist before she could pull away, he pressed his lips to her soft palm. "What a relief," he replied wryly, a smirk gracing his features.

A blush bloomed on her face and her laughter was a little off - he could tell she was flustered.

Good. He wanted to be the one that threw off her composure.

Releasing her hand to let her return to her seat, he replayed the scene in his head and relished in the sensation of her fingers buried in his hair. Idly, he wondered what it would feel like to have her hands elsewhere...

Hinata's nerves were rattled; the ghost of his kiss seemed to be burned into her skin and she had trouble focusing on anything else.