Penance

******* 8 ******

Two days later Sasuke began to wonder who of the two really was a demon. Him or Hinata. Because Hinata now ignored him even if she was alone in the apartment. She treated him like air and it was hurting him

But Sasuke could see that Akamaru, Hinata’s faithful companion was starting to worry about the white eyed young woman as well. He never left her side and was always there for her to give her a gentle lick or an encouraging little nudge. And the way Hinata was smiling at the dog almost made Sasuke jealous.

‘Jealous?’ The knowledge almost caused the incubus demon to gasp for air. The feeling was intense just as the knowledge of having it. It was something new to Sasuke. He had not even experienced it while he was still human. Envy yes, that he had felt when he had seen people with greater luck in life than he had. Of things they could own, but he had never felt jealousy.

Sasuke was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw the newly showered Hinata step out from the bathroom, dressed in a fuzzy bathrobe that looked more like it could be used as a tent rather than a robe. She hurried inside her bedroom, she let Akamaru come with her and then she closed the door.

Sasuke got a feeling that something was up with the young woman and he just couldn’t tell what it was and it was annoying.

He could hear her move about in her bedroom and that just sounded like a bag being opened. She was going away?

No, no... There was no way in hell she was getting out of here and Sasuke staying behind. A dark hole began to grow inside his stomach. To be left alone again. Never to talk to anyone again, to be seen again. It just about freaked him out.

He walked up to the door and didn’t care for knocking. He just walked right inside.

“Hinata!” he called out as he saw her pack a bag of clothes. ‘So she’s really is going away.’

“What is it Sasuke?” Hinata asked without looking at the demon who had invaded her personal space and changed her and her why of life for all eternity.

“What are you doing?” the demon asked hesitantly as he watched her fold a couple of t-shirts and neatly stuffed them into her bag.

“I’m packing,” she said with a voice that clearly rang out – are you stupid or what?

“Why?”

“Because I’m going to stay with a friend for the night,” Hinata said.

“Why?”

Hinata really wanted to scream. She wanted to tell her demon of a room mate that she barely could walk straight, that she almost had to wear sanitary pads because she was constantly wet between her legs.

And who could blame her? Sasuke was a walking, talking incubus or in other words – a sex-demon, how she could resist him was probably the mystery of the century. He was oozing with male hormones and pheromones. If he knew how badly she wanted him he probably would laugh at her. She was just a little grey mouse with a very few friends and no social life what so ever. She was just a lonely girl that liked to paint orchids and ferns.

‘Sasuke, I need this... I need to talk to my friend about this obsession, this constant state of horniness I feel whenever I’m around you.’ Hinata blinked a few times as she continued to pack her bag. Next to the bag on the bed was Akamaru. The dog was giving her the puppy eye treatment and Hinata had to bite her lip in order not to give in.

“Hinata... why?” Sasuke asked again when he noticed her silence.

“Because Tenten needs me,” Hinata said. A little white lie, she just couldn’t tell him the truth.

“Tenten?”

“A friend of mine, she’s in need of a female companion right now and since she’s always been there for me even when I was locked away, I’m going be there for her.”

“What about Akamaru?” Sasuke asked as he walked over to the bed and gently stroked the dog over the head. The dog did notice something because he looked around but couldn’t either see or smell the incubus demon.

‘And what about me? I really need a feeding,’ Sasuke thought as a couple of cotton panties disappeared down into the bag. He knew that he was growing weak. He had not fed since he “moved in” with Hinata and he was getting weaker for every night that passed. But he really couldn’t ride Hinata in order to get what he wanted. He didn’t want to force himself on her and yet he couldn’t think about doing it with someone else right now. Actually going out during the night to another woman was making him sick. So it was Hinata or nobody at all. And nobody at all meant a miserable state for Sasuke.

“What about Akamaru?” Hinata asked.

“Are you just going to leave him alone?”

“He’s not alone, he got you. And I’ll be back before tomorrow evening. And I know you can feed him and keep him company.”

Sasuke blinked. He had hoped he would be able to play on her heart with that. New angle was needed.

“He can’t see me.”

“No, and probably not smell you either. But I have seen him react to your touch and that’s enough. And as I said, I’ll be back tomorrow.” And with that statement Hinata zipped up her bag and picked it off the bed.

She brushed passed Sasuke on her way to the door.

But just after she had put on her shoes and was about to open the front door she was embraced by a pair of leathery wings. They folded around her, stopping her from exiting her apartment.

“Stay,” Sasuke whispered as his arms came around Hinata’s frame and hugged her against his bare chest.

Hinata closed her eyes as she tried to calm down her racing heart. He really didn’t know how it affected her. His closeness, his half nakedness. He rarely wore anything but his loin cloth as long as they were alone in the apartment. And it was driving her crazy. It was driving her body out of control.

She couldn’t tell him so she grasped for that little white lie again.

“Tenten needs me and I must go alone...”

Sasuke had followed her to the store and once even to the gallery where she had an exhibition with her art. And he had always been a nice demon and never done anything out of the ordinary. Except maybe for being a demon and all.

But even if she wanted him close, she couldn’t risk being sent back to the institution. If Tenten suspected Hinata for having another of her invisible friends around again she would tell Neji and Neji would tell Hinata’s father and off Hinata went.

No, she had to go alone.

And even an incubus demon could look at you with longing puppy eyes.

“Please, I need to go to her. I’ll be back before you know it,” Hinata whispered and swallowed the lump in her throat.

“So Akamaru and I can’t come with you then?” Sasuke asked as he put his hands on her blushing cheeks and gently nudged up her face to make her look at him.

“No,” Hinata’s low voice cut deep wounds inside him.

“Alright... be safe then... but remember... I will have something in return from you tomorrow,” Sasuke stated tersely.

Hinata blinked in confusion.

“Well, you do need to do something for me since you’re leaving me alone. I have been alone for too long and I don’t like that you’ll be leaving me, not even for a short time,” Sasuke said as he lowered his face closer to Hinata.

Hinata’s white eyes widened as she realized that he was about to kiss her. But she couldn’t move she just stared wide eyed as his face came closer... closer.

“I’ll never hurt you Hinata... just relax...”

How could you calm down a heart that was already racing a thousand miles an hour? How to calm down when you had a drop dead sexy demon embracing you within his wings and was about to kiss you?

“S-Sasuke?”

“Close your eyes Hinata,” Sasuke asked as he gently rubbed his nose against the trembling young woman’s. He was glad to see that she did as he asked and he pressed his lips against Hinata’s.

The kiss was different from the one when he tried to keep her silent the first time they met. This was so soft, so gentle that Hinata almost felt as she wanted to cry. When he pulled away she opened her eyes and watched him smile at her.

“Come back safely ok?” He said.

Hinata could only nod and suddenly she was alone in the hallway. Sasuke had disappeared.

“Sasuke...” she breathed his name.

T B C

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