Rule #3: Happiness is never certain.
Hinata was exhausted. Positively, entirely and without doubt — downright exhausted. It was nightfall by the time she gave up on pursuing Sasuke, and she silently thanked the Gods she never paid him much attention till now; the Hyuuga didn't think her mind could take it.
Regardless, her eyes still shone when the door clicked open and Naruto came walking in, slouching rubbing his head. His fiancée wondered how many times Tsunade had hit him in her absence — at least seven more times, she reckoned.
"Hinata!" he said gleefully, instantly running over to the chair she had inadvertently collapsed on. His minor injuries dismissed, Naruto asked Hinata how her day went.
"Terrible," she sighed, and Naruto's face fell. "Oh, but it's not like I'll stop looking out for him, Naruto," Hinata added quickly. "It's just that he doesn't seem to want this. It's like Sasuke wants to be alone."
Naruto kissed her on her forehead, making her smile. He ran his fingers through her tresses that stretched on to reach her waist, and traced a mirrored 'C' along her jaw line. "I guess Sasuke hasn't adjusted to life in Konoha yet," Naruto suggested, "He's probably pissed with the fact I have to put him on probation, so right now he's cursing the whole world with death."
Hinata frowned, unforgiving. "He's being difficult. Like a child."
Naruto chuckled, getting up and walking toward the kitchen. Hinata paled visibly when she realised her fiancée was hungry. "Oh snap," she sighed again, "I forgot to make dinner. I'm sorry, it's just that I was caught up chasing Sasuke and then I came back so tired, then you came home and—"
Wordlessly, the Hokage-in-training gently pulled his fiancée out of the chair and into his arms. "It's fine," Naruto laughed softly to himself, "Please, just tolerate Sasuke for two months," he pleaded, his blue eyes begging. Hinata felt something in her chest melt.
"Sasuke's like a brother to me, and when we have children I'd like him to be the godfather." Hinata shuddered at the prospect of children; the redness of her ears went even deeper and for a moment she felt dizzy. "For me," Naruto beamed, his arm around her waist. "I don't trust anyone else but you to look out for him."
"O-okay then," Hinata blurted, too light-headed to think of anything but compliance. How many years had it been since she and Naruto began going out? He still had the power of god over her — not that he severely abused it or anything — but Hinata thought of it as a good thing; her love for him was still as strong as ever.
"Why don't you and Sasuke try to find something fun to do tomorrow?" Naruto grinned, letting his lover go and proceeding to his room to change. Hinata fell back onto the chair and heard the smooth textile slip down Naruto's form and land softly onto the floor. "You could try to get him a job," he grinned, "That'll keep him busy and you won't have to chase him around Konoha."
Hinata thought this over. Yes, she could indeed try to get a job for her love's friend. That would certainly prevent her from depleting her chakra everyday for two months. She silently wondered what Sasuke could possibly be good at, other than shinobi-related activities. "What do you think he'll be mildly good at?"
Naruto emerged from his room, wearing a comfortable pair of 3/4 pants and carrying a mesh shirt. Hinata's white eyes almost bulged at the sight of his beautiful sculpted pectoral and abdominal muscles, the orbs of mystery and wonder briefly going over the seal on his stomach. She watched as her fiancée put his shirt on.
"Well," Naruto replied, pulling the material down his chest, covering his torso. He grabbed a thin jacket and threw it on. "You could bring Sasuke to the Academy. Maybe he'll be able to teach the kids some stuff."
"He acts like a child." Her tone was pure disbelief, and as if Hinata was born a skeptic, she arched her brows like a veteran.
Naruto laughed, walking toward his sitting love. He used his right hand to mess with her midnight blue hair. "You love children," he reminded her, kneeling so he could be at eye-level with Hinata.
She could have died and gone to heaven — if what she was living in wasn't already heaven — when Naruto's bright blue orbs of idealism and determination bore into her soul. He always seemed to look at her like that; intensely, passionately and as if she were his everything. Hinata wondered if Naruto felt the same when she looked at him.
"Yeah, I do," she admitted. At this Naruto placed his arms on her shoulders, slowly pushing her toward him. He kept a brilliant, radiant grin on his face throughout, and even though it was dark outside to Hinata it seemed as if it were still noon.
"Just for two months," Naruto urged, leaning in toward her. "Two months, then when we get married we'll spend whole weeks together alone. I promise."
With a slight nod of Hinata's, Naruto's smile stretched. With his face a mere inch away from hers, he managed one more sentence before his lips descended on hers.
"I love you," Naruto whispered tenderly, his eyelids slowly shutting as he gently pushed his head forward.