*singing* flamer dear, I love you, you're so cute, even when you toot, you're a hoot when I read, your silly inconsistencies *singing*

I hope I meet you one day. I'll hug you and hug you and you'll hate it and it'll be glorious.

;)

Inky

They moved through the village as though they were made of the same substance, mostly shadow, and just enough light to find their way. Hinata's body was a form of calligraphy and he could read her thoughts in the tilt of her head and a rise of her shoulders. Their movement through the houses and shops, weaving through the tangled electrical wires and fences made him wonder again how he had overlooked her.

With a twist of her head and a flash of her Byakugan lined eyes she motioned to the shopping district and the stretch of store fronts lining either side of the dirt cobble stone street.

It was the middle of the week and there were few people wandering around so he wasn't surprised when his sharingan eyes located the blonde and pink hair of his old team, chatting amiably and thankfully distracted by a doting Ino rubbing a hand over Sakura's extended belly.

For a moment Sasuke started, a little shocked at the expanse of life that was overtaking Sakura's usually lithe frame. It had been months since he had last seen her, and if he was honest he really hadn't been paying a lot of attention to the updates that Naruto had been giving him about the pregnancy. It was infinitely more interesting for the soon to be father than it was for him, and more than once he had focused on something else in his mind while his friend complained or gushed in equal measures about the soon to be junior.

"... We have to distract them." Hinata whispered softly as they landed on the slanted tiled roof of the store they were standing in front of. She moved like a whisper of cloth over skin, and his red gaze flickered over her with interest again. On a mission she would have been infinitely more useful than his pink haired team mate. Recon had never been Sakura's strong suit, and often he had lamented that out of the three of them on team 7 he was the only one that could be relied on to accomplish a mission in silence and without notice.

Now he was puzzled by his never having noticed the strength of the Byakugan gaze and the skill with which the Hyuuga who wielded it was able to materialize beside him, ghost like as her pale eyes.

"I'll get the kids." He murmured, eyes flickering to Sasu and Hina who were still eyeing the candy shop with interest, hands swinging together at their sides. Below them Ino was saying good bye, giving Sakura's round tummy one last pat of affection.

"It has to be now." Hinata's voice was breathless but calm and her hand shot out, giving his shoulder a push towards the alley on the side of the store. "Go."

Blinking at her mildly he launched himself over the side, watching out of the corner of her eye as she threw her body down behind the Hokage and the med nin, and he listened as her voice called out, a little more frazzled than usual but more or less in control.

"S-sakura-chan! Hi!"

Peering around the corner from the alley Sasuke watched as Naruto and Sakura turned sharply at the sound of Hinata's voice, surprise lighting both their faces, their backs to the kids now looking over at Hinata as well.

From his vantage point Sasuke watched as Sasu's face paled and Hina's eyes widened at the sight of Hinata.

"Uh oh." Sasu said.

Rolling his eyes at himself Sasuke shot forward, just as Hinata forced a smile on her face, looking at the Hokage and his wife with painfully cheery eyes. "Hi, I... how are you?" she twisted her hands behind her back and the couple blinked at her bemusedly. "Uh... good." Sakura laughed a little, cocking her head at her. "Are... are you feeling any better?"

Remembering suddenly that she was supposed to be sick Hinata pressed her lips together hard, thinking fast, watching over Naruto's shoulder as Sasuke snatched up Hina and tried to wrangle a fighting flailing Sasu.

"Right- yes... I'm... I don't know what is going on, I've been so tired and dizzy lately." Hinata spouted, snapping her eyes back to Sakura's face as she watched puzzlement and curiousity wash over their features.

Naruto laughed a little. "You sound like Sakura, she's always dizzy and tired lately."

"It's the pregnancy though." Sakura chidded softly. "Can't be helped. It can't be that for you though, Hinata. Maybe you should make an appointment with Tsunade-sama?"

"Mhm." Hinata agreed, squinting to keep her eyes from widening as Sasuke finally grabbed Sasu by the ankle and flipped him upside down. The little boy had the sense to not scream although his face was red and he was still flailing like a fish out of water, his gaze deadly.

"You do seem a little...dazed." Naruto added softly, following her gaze over his shoulder.

Like a mirage Sasuke and both the kids disappeared with only a hiss of breeze in their wake, and Hinata let out a breath she had not realized she had snatched abruptly.

Sakura frowned a little at her. "Hey... Hinata... maybe, could we go for coffee sometime? I'd love to catch up with you. And Naruto's right, you... you do seem a little out of it."

"Uh... yes. I would... I would love that. I just remembered, I have to... I have to do something, I have to go." She stuttered, giving them a quick half bow as she stepped back. "It was lovely to see you!" she added, turning around and starting a rapid fire walk down the street, hair fluttering behind her in a curtain of black.

"Weird..." Sakura murmured, blinking hard. "I don't even know what to make of that."

"Me neither." Naruto admitted, rubbing his eyes. "I swear I thought I saw Sasuke for a second too. Did you see him? Maybe I'm imagining things."

"I thought you said he went home early." Sakura murmured as they started to walk together again, Naruto's arm hanging loosely around Sakura's shoulder. "Yeah. He did. He's being a weirdo too actually. Something's up. I think he may have found a girl. He brought a home made lunch box today."

"What?" Sakura's voice dripped with disbelief. "Hanabi doesn't cook."

Wincing at what that meant Naruto shuddered the idea off. "Maybe she had a servant get it together for him then."

"Yeah..." Sakura nodded without a lot of conviction. "...that's... that's probably it."

But somewhere in the back of her mind an image of Hinata heavy laden with groceries flashed through her mind. Balking a little she frowned. Naruto paused beside her, blue eyes worried. "...are you okay? What's wrong?"

"N...nothing." Smiling weakly Sakura shrugged, touching her belly lightly. "I...just baby kicking."

"Oh! Let me feel!" Naruto gasped, pressing a hand to her bump with a smile while her green eyes blinked the worry from her face with some effort.

Behind the shadows of a nearby tree Lord Susa watched, cocking his head thoughtfully, shoulder leaning against the rough trunk of his chosen shade. "Well... that was boring." He sighed dramatically, examining his long nails for a moment. "Your turn, I suppose, Sister." And with a flourish of blue like silk in water he disappeared.

"Let me go you bully!"

Sasuke growled deep in his throat as he walked into the house, tossing the upside down Sasu onto the couch with little regard.

Hina who was clinging to his neck and hip with all four limbs gasped, her eyes threatening to devour her face, mouth turned into a permanent downward grimace.

"You-you-you-!" Sasu tried, scrambling off the sofa and onto the floor. His face was so red Sasuke wondered briefly if perhaps he would tumble over. He had carried him the whole way back upside down to avoid the flailing limbs and as he watched the little boy swayed, his angry face relaxing momentarily as dizziness overwhelmed him.

"Ah!" Hinata's voice sounded behind him and he turned in time to watch her rush forward and catch the child before he flopped, his face paling rapidly.

"You can't do that!" she gasped, and there was more force in that one statement than he had heard her use in any other conversation she had ever had in his presence.

"Why not? He was being a brat." Sasuke grumbled, finally moving to lower Hina only to find her arms and legs were refusing to budge from around his torso. Blinking he turned to look at her and she looked back, wide eyes staring.

Scooping Sasu into her arms Hinata stood to face him, looking incredulous. "He's going to pass out. You made all the blood rush to his head!"

"My head." Sasuke pointed out, waving a hand impatiently. "It's my head. And also, I was a pain as a child." He frowned at Sasu whose eyes were a little wobbly on his face. "I told you both not to go anywhere." As he said this he turned to Hina whose chin was now trembling in close proximity to his face.

"Sasuke." Hinata's tone was impatient and he blinked turning back to her with some surprise.

"I'm sorry!" Hina gasped. "Please...d-don't make me dizzy."

Startled the Uchiha felt his mouth fall open. "I'm... I'm not going to make you dizzy." He began and then his eyes drifted to the still swaying now green face of Sasu in Hinata's arms. Above the little face Hinata's pursed lips and unimpressed gaze lingered on him.

"Right." He closed his eyes. "Right."

"Parenthood is not going to treat you well." Neji's voice echoed and Sasuke flopped on the couch with Hina, feeling her little body scrambling from his side onto his lap, burying into his clothing like a squirrel.

Eyes still closed and a hand over his face Sasuke sighed, leaning his head against the back rest. "...not in the mood." He murmured.

Near the door in a puff of mist Neji materialized, bringing a slow smile to Hinata's face. "Neji-nii."

"Hime." He smiled at the sight of his cousin, smirking then as he took in the sickly Sasu in her arms. "And here I thought I would need to teach your younger counterpart some manners. At least we're in agreement about how irritating you are now." Neji murmured.

Opening one eye Sasuke peered at him from his place on the couch, gaze lingering on the halo above his head.

"So...are you getting a harp soon?"

Frowning now Neji ignored him, and the grin that Hinata bit back sharply as she settled Sasu on the couch beside Sasuke.

"I told you to do something or Susa would get impatient."

"He did this?" Hinata looked up at him tiredly. "They nearly ran into Sakura and Naruto. How would we have explained-?"

"I think that was the intention." Neji shrugged. "It would have... complicated things."

"Complicated things." Sasuke scoffed, picturing Naruto's face at the sight of Sasu. And then, after a moment of silence he pictured Naruto's face at the sight of Sasu hugging Hina so hard the blood on her cheeks threatened to come out of her ears. No. There was so much No that would happen in that situation.

"I'm seeing Ino tomorrow morning." Hinata muttered and the droop of her shoulders made her suddenly seem exhausted as she sat on the edge of the coffee table. "I... I don't understand what they want."

"I don't think they even know." Neji muttered. "But, Lady Ama wants to tell you she has sent something early for you, to compensate for her brother's meddling."

"What?" Hinata blinked at her cousin. "Something early?"

"That's all I was told." Neji smiled at her with sympathy. "I'm sorry."

"...Uchiha-san." Hina whispered, and the sudden feel of her breath on his cheek made Sasuke realize she was still on his lap, watching the interactions between the adults with pensive pale eyes. Curiously he studied her as she looked back at him, tiny pink mouth pinching together for a moment as she mustered up the courage for her next sentence.

"I'm... I'm hungry."

"Oh." Sasuke began a little unnerved by her close proximity and the soft baby scent of her breath on his face.

"I'll get them dinner." Hinata stood then, stretching for a moment before sighing. "Did you eat, Uchiha-san?"

"Don't serve him." Neji grumbled from the corner, wings fluttering behind him irritably. Hinata's eyes lingered on her cousin for a moment, trying not to smile at the grumpy angel. "It's all made up already, Neji-nii-"

Just to annoy the saint Sasuke called. "I haven't eaten, no."

Fuming through his halo Neji shot him a look. Amiably Sasuke peered at him, absently patting on Hina's little back as she relaxed against his shoulder. "...will you shrink eventually?"

"What?" Neji stared at him confusedly. "What are you talking about?"

"For when you sit on people's shoulders." Sasuke continued, face serious.

"Ugh." was all Neji said. "I'll see you soon, Hinata."

"Oh!" Hinata gasped, peeking around the corner from the kitchen. "But-" And he was gone in a poof.

Letting out a little sound that was on the annoyed side of things Hinata sighed, looking over at Sasuke and straightening, surprise on her face. "Oh... she fell asleep."

Turning to look down Sasuke stared. Hina's cheek was pressed to his chest, her eyes closed and breath even with her arms as far around his torso as she could get them, limbs limp. Slowly he continued to rub her back, surprisingly comfortable with her little body heating his.

On the couch beside him Sasu lay still as well, pale skin a little green but eyes closed.

"You know..." Hinata's voice was suddenly right by his shoulder and Sasuke felt his body grow stiff, watching out of his peripheral vision as her forearms leaned on the backrest and then delicately one pale hand reached down to smooth Sasu's dark hair back from his face. "He's just a baby. He's not even five."

"That doesn't matter." Sasuke muttered. "I told him not to leave the house."

"Well, I think it matters." Hinata's voice was soft, feathery as it whispered out of her lips. "He's doing his best. But he's still just a baby." Her eyes finally turned to his face and he was forced to rip his gaze from her fingers moving through Sasu's hair.

Gently she smiled at him, at his stiff expression and black unmoving stare. "Maybe things would have been different for you if people had remembered that you were just a child."

Without waiting for a reply she pushed from the couch and headed back into the kitchen. "I have to go home, my father and sister are expecting me for dinner tonight. But the food is pretty much ready, in case they wake up to eat. I'll let you know how the meeting with Ino goes." The last part was a little weaker coming out of her mouth. "I'll be here in the morning to help with them. I'm not expected anywhere right away."

"Okay." He breathed, eyes still trained on the child snoozing beside him on the couch with familiar dark lashes and a slight frown on his lips.

"Good night, Uchiha-san." her call made him glance up in time to see her disappear through the door into the late afternoon light, leaving him with thoughts about different lives he could have led.

"You've been rather sneaky lately." Hanabi commented. It was rare now to see her in anything but their mother's beautiful kimonos. Once upon a time Hanabi would have been found in nothing less than battle gear, her hair down or pulled back, her eyes fixated on an invisible Anbu mask in the distance as her goal.

But with the end of the war came the end of a lot of lives and a lot of dreams, and like many of her generation she twisted restlessly in the confines of peace. Through the expansive folds of the white kimono Hinata's trained eyes caught the glint of metal at her sister's wrist and she took note of the kunai hidden there.

Some things never changed.

Sipping lightly from her cup of green tea the elder Hyuuga did not reply, as she had not been asked a question. Quietly she picked at a piece of pink pickled ginger with her beautifully lacquered chopsticks, careful to keep the long sleeves of her pale gray yukata from her food.

"It does seem you have been... out a lot the last few days." Hiashi added lightly before taking a bite. Around them two servants waited patiently with warm tea, their eyes down turned and nearly invisible in their stillness. Hinata marveled that these people who were hardly noticed could have one of the essential most difficult to learn of shinobi skills. The ability to disappear in plain sight.

"I have been training. I was at the hospital today and after I went for a walk." Hinata ventured. Lying was becoming one of her stronger skills lately, she listened to the cadence of her voice and wondered at it's calm and collected tones. Soon she wouldn't be able to tell when lies were spouting from her lips. It made her uncomfortable enough that heat rose to her cheeks and swallowing hard she lifted the tea to her face again, aware that Hanabi's eyes were trained on her.

"You've been training a lot lately then." Her sister murmured.

"I believe it was you who suggested I should keep up with my skills." Hinata replied gently, smiling to soften the edge of the blow. Hanabi's jaw worked for a moment, Hinata doubted she was chewing.

"I have some news that is of interest to me and I believe to you, Daughter." Hiashi interrupted before Hanabi could gather enough air in her lungs to snap something back. "I had wanted to discuss it with you before dinner but... you arrived rather late. So." He waved his chopsticks a little as if to push away the problem. "I have received a letter. From the Kazekage."

Hinata didn't look up, poking at her food absently, hardly paying attention. Hanabi however was frowning at her father, face unsure. "From Gaara-sama? What does he want with me?"

"Not you." Hiashi replied very lightly, as though talking about the time the cherry blossoms would bloom. "Your sister."

This made both his daughters pause, Hanabi with tea halfway to her lips and Hinata's chopsticks in the air, eyes snapping to their father as though they had practiced it.

"Me?" Hinata's voice came out much smaller than she had anticipated.

"Well... he has informed me he will be coming earlier than expected for the wedding, he could be arriving in the next few days in fact." Hiashi continued, nodding politely at one of the servants to top up his cup of tea.

"He has also requested that we host him for the duration of his stay."

"Here?" Hanabi's tone was dripping with disbelief. "He wants to stay here? At the Main House?"

"Yes." Hiashi's pale gaze flickered to Hinata then, studying her parted pink lips and wide eyes. Slowly, under his watchful stare she snapped her mouth shut and sat up on her knees, turning to stare at her plate before putting her chopsticks down.

There would be no more eating today.

"That means..." Hanabi began slowly, her eyes also travelling from their father to her sister with open amusement. "Only family stays at the Main House on occasions like weddings."

Only family.

Neji's words lingered in Hinata's head, ringing like bells tickled by the wind. Lady Ama wants to tell you she has sent something early for you, to compensate for her brother's meddling.

Closing her eyes Hinata sighed. "I... I think I am finished, I think I will take my leave, Otousama."

"Daughter." Hiashi murmured before she could get herself slowly to her feet. "Did you know of this? Has he ever before shown you interest?"

Feeling her hands trembling and her cheeks heating Hinata searched the table desperately for something comforting. The truth was Gaara had watched her intently every time she had appeared at the Sand Village on business for the Hokage or her family, his attention had always been undivided and kind. She had found him to be a gentle person and although others were still a little afraid of him despite all he had done for his village and in the war she couldn't disagree more. In the end she counted him as a friend, and had been happy to hear he would be coming.

But this.

This was unexpected. Had she been too heart broken to notice something vital?

"I'm... I'm afraid I do not have an answer that would satisfy you, Otousan." Hinata whispered softly. "I'm... I'm as surprised as you, although..." she frowned a little. "I am afraid perhaps I should not be. I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Hanabi let out a little laugh. "Marrying the Kazekage is hardly something to apologize for."

"Stop." Hinata's snap came out like a whip from beneath the table, shattering the calm of the dinner with it's sharp fluidity and both Hanabi and Hiashi stared at her. Crimson in the face the elder Hyuuga pushed herself to her feet. "Please... I do not want to jump to conclusions. He may simply not know the protocol. He is a dear friend and... I... I do not want anyone speaking about marriage." she threw her eyes sharply at her sister then and watched as Hanabi clenched her jaw.

"As the heiress your marriage is of importance to me, as it is to the clan." Hanabi retorted softly, so as to keep the tension from escalating. "We may need to discuss it."

"When the time comes I will happily discuss my betrothal with Otousan- and should he not be able to discuss it with me... then I will happily discuss it with you, as you will be head of this Household." Hinata's gaze remained lowered, almost in deference despite the bite in her words.

Hiashi's eyes lingered on his eldest before turning smoothly to Hanabi. "...a virtue of leadership of great importance is to not overstep your boundaries, my daughter. You are heiress. Not head."

It took much to flush embarrassment into Hanabi's face but in that moment Hinata was relieved to find pink lighting her sister's cheeks, making her look young and pretty despite the frown. "Forgive me, Otousama. Sister."

"Forget it, there is nothing to forgive." Hinata muttered, standing. "May I be excused, Otousama. I am afraid I am developing a headache."

"Of course. You have... not been feeling well lately." Hiashi studied her as she moved towards the door, pausing at the threshold to listen to his words. "Shall I be requesting a visit by Tsunade-sama? I would not want you ill during the wedding." And in the air lingered the other reason in the Kazekage's early arrival.

"No... I... I have not been resting well. It is nothing to be concerned about." Forcing a smile Hinata bowed. "Good night, Otousama." And slightly more coolly. "Sister."

Rolling her eyes behind their father's back Hanabi sighed. "Good night."

Wandering down the hall Hinata shivered, blinking hard as she finally reached her bedroom and stepped into it's familiar privacy, relaxing her shoulders at last and putting a hand to her face.

"Gaara-kun...?" she blinked out through her windows at the brightness of the stars in the early spring night sky. What exactly had the Goddess of the Sun done? So far Hinata had been frightened by the concept of being in a game played by gods. Being at the mercy of their whims however had not seemed out of the ordinary, just their blatant disregard for subtlety and rules was.

But now the bright green eyes of a friend flickered through her mind and she wondered if they had had anything to do with his sudden move. Frowning she moved to her bathroom, rubbing the chill from her arms as she walked.

It was one thing to toy with her, to make her heart break and be entertained by it. It was another to bring someone as gentle and dear to her as Gaara into the fray. Feeling something that she knew was the beginnings of anger she stripped roughly and turned the shower on so that the water scalded before stepping into it's burn.

Telling her father she had not been sleeping well had not been a lie. Tossing and turning and dealing with children in her futon had that affect on her. It also didn't help when she woke to the feel of massive powerful chakra crawling over her skin in the middle of the night.

Byakugan veins jumped to attention on her face as she sat up, her hands tight around a kunai beneath her pillow as she stared through the room at the windows across her bed. The curtains were parted slightly, just enough for her to see the shape of someone on the sill just outside.

After a moment the twisting turns of chakra became familiar and wide eyed she scrambled out of her futon, tightening the sleeping robe around her waist before pulling the window open and peering out into the chilly night.

"Uchiha-san?"

His shape was a mass of darkness against the navy of the sky and bright red eyes glinted at her, in their glare she could see his features, tired and perhaps if she squinted a little sheepish.

"I... am having issues." He commented lightly, and as his words came out so did a sniffle from his arms where Hina sat, shoulders shaking with heaving tears that broke Hinata's heart in an instant.

"What... what's happened?" she whispered, reaching up to take the child in her arms. Sasuke jumped into her room then, making it shrink in size with his presence again while pulling Sasu off his back and onto her bed where the boy flopped tiredly, curling into the covers.

"She woke screaming, and nothing either of us could do has soothed her." He murmured, nodding at the child. Hina's eyes were swollen and red, her breath hitched and though her crying was quiet, almost silent as the tears poured it was obvious she was beyond comforting.

Patting her head softly Hinata peered at her face, searching for clues. "Hina-chan? What's the matter?" Blinking back at her Hina said nothing, fingers shoving the tears from her cheeks although they kept on coming in a relentless fall of sadness.

"Even Sasu?" Hinata blinked at Sasuke then and he shook his head, looking confused and a little weary. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do."

"I told him to come." Neji's voice stated and with his familiar pop he appeared leaning against the window, arms crossed. "The idiot was panicking."

"No." Sasuke snapped over his shoulder. "I thought she was hurt. It was merited."

"Hurt by pillows." Neji nodded. "Of course."

"He's around a lot." Sasuke turned to Hinata then. "I had hoped it was a passing thing."

"I'm attached to the kids." The tone of Neji's voice was smiling even though Sasuke didn't bother looking at him as he spoke. "Anywhere they go..."

"Fantastic." The Uchiha breathed lightly before sitting down on the chaise by the window tiredly.

"How long has she been crying?" the Hyuuga finally inquired, giving her cousin a scolding look that he winked at. "At least an hour." Sasuke sighed and Hinata looked at the girl in her arms again, watching her sniff softly.

"...did you dream... about being alone?" Her eyes lighted on her own young face, recognizing the terror with a tinge of sadness in her chest.

For a moment Hina just looked at her, blinking her swollen eyes and sniffing. From the window the ghost and the Uchiha watched, surprised.

'...yes..." Hina whimpered finally through a thick sob, little arms wrapping tightly around Hinata's neck.

Swallowing hard Hinata rubbed her back, trying not to watch the reaction of the two men staring intently.

"It's okay... you won't be alone. You have Neji-nii... and you have Otousan and Hanabi and so many dear friends."

"But mine Ka-san,..." Hina's sobs broke her words apart like canon balls through paper and despite her best attempts to keep her face turned away she caught Sasuke's expression change from confused to sudden understanding.

Hinata didn't reply to the last sentence, her eyes turned firmly to the ground. She had wondered at the way that Hina spoke about their mother.

If she was right, she would pass away soon, or had very recently.

Sighing softly she moved towards her futon, settling onto the covers with the girl in her arms, sleepily Sasu moved from the foot of the bed where Sasuke had dropped him, crawling over the blankets until like before the three became a tangle of arms and legs.

With Hina's shuddering body pressed to her chest Hinata ran her hands through her hair, trying not to remember the ache of missing her mother. It had been so many years since she had last felt that throb.

Slowly as the stars began to turn in the heavens Hina's breathing slowed and Sasuke stood, moving towards the window to climb out only to freeze at the glare he received from the still visible winged Neji.

"Don't you leave her alone." The Hyuuga snapped, pale eyes sharp in the dim light. "Don't you dare."

Surprised Sasuke paused, hand on the window latch. "...did you know why she was crying?"

Neji's face turned away, but not fast enough to keep the shame from lighting on his features. "I should have, when I was alive. But no... I didn't. And because I didn't know it then, I also didn't know it now."

Brooding over the reply Sasuke kicked off his shoes tiredly, throwing himself haphazard on the chaise he had been occupying. "You were a child." He muttered absently, eyes flickering to the little Sasu wrapped tightly around Hinata's back. "How could you have known?"

"We were all children." Neji replied after a moment, fading even as he spoke. "That didn't stop life from happening to us."

Throwing an arm over his eyes Sasuke sighed, knowing he would be gone if he peered into the shadows again.

It was strange, having two different Hyuugas make such different statements to him in the same 24 hours. And even more strange that both sounded so true.

"Hinata-sama!"

The sing song voice of the maids was the same as having a thunder cloud boom them awake. With a gasp Hinata shot up, pale eyes wide. In the span of two heart beats Hinata surveyed the incoming disaster, feeling as yet another handful of years was ripped from her lifespan.

On the other side of the room Sasuke Uchiha was sitting up looking disheveled and sleepy and to the right was her bedroom door. Opening.

Behind it a handful of maids were waiting to encounter the biggest scandal in the history of all Hyuugas.

"W-w-wait!" Her cry woke the two kids in the futon with her and moving faster than she had thought she could move she snapped from the bed to the door, slamming it closed before the maid could poke her head in. Gasping Hinata stood there, hands pressing on the wood with shaking fingers. "Uh...I..." she gasped, feeling awful as the maid's disgruntled words passed through the barrier.

Glancing back over her shoulder she saw Sasuke disappear out the window and Sasu dragging Hina into the bathroom.

As the bathroom door closed she hesitantly opened the door in front of her, blazing red and unable to keep her eyes from expressing her panic.

"I'm...I'm... so sorry... I... I was um..." She whispered, watching as the handful of maids stared at her, their gazes matching in confusion and bewilderment.

"Please, come in." She finally managed, wandering back into her room. "I'll um... I'll just be in the bathroom." tugging fiercely on her tangled hair she scampered to the door, ignoring the puzzled looks of the women as they set to work putting her futon away and setting out her breakfast.

Inside the bathroom the kids sat huddled in the bathtub, eyes wide. "Good job..." Hinata whispered, scrambling over them to the window and flinging it open, nearly smacking Sasuke in the face as he stood on the sill, wincing at the garden far far below.

"...we overslept." He commented, turning dark eyes to her. With the wind blasting she nodded, pushing her wild black hair back without much success. "Yes, I'm sorry I..." and then her eyes landed on his bare feet on the window sill.

"...where...are your shoes?"

Slowly Sasuke looked down and then back up at her, face carefully placid.

Mouthing like a fish Hinata scrambled back over the bathtub and the kids hiding in it, heart pounding in her chest as she ripped over the bathroom door in time to see the maids glance over at her, their faces pleasant.

"Have a good day, Hinata-sama." One called as they moved off, and watching them Hinata waved mildly, wincing at the smiles they exchanged before they closed the door.

"No... no no..." she whispered, walking into her room and tracing the floor by the chair Sasuke had used as a bed.

Sure enough.

There they were.

She had never hated shoes before but, she did right then, sitting innocently and neatly pushed against the wall. Definitely not how a man would have dropped them but a maid would have pushed them aside before sweeping, tucking the laces into them for good measure.

Behind her the chakra she was becoming steadily more familiar with pulsed and his sigh made her push a hand into her hair.

"They're going to think I have a secret..." She couldn't finish the sentence, the word lover would not pass through her lips, in fact it hung on to her vocal chords like a cat avoiding the bath. Eyes closed she sighed. "They're going to think he...was here all night..."

He watched with interest as heat exploded on her neck, brightening it to a red sheen, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Sorry." Somehow that didn't make the fact that he was amused go away and a little guiltily he cleared his throat.

Groaning softly she sat, burying her face into her hands. "Maybe disappearing isn't so bad."

Sasuke watched as she turned her head to peer at him through the tangle of her black hair, and found that he had the sudden urge to push it from her face, unwinding the twists in the black silk with his fingers.

Purposefully he pushed his hands into his pockets. "You sure?"

"No." the smile she offered was weak but brave. "I guess... I better get a boyfriend."

"What?" Sasu's voice from the bathroom doorway was unimpressed in it's tiny high pitched snap. "You... you can't get a boyfriend."

The two adults looked at him questioningly for a moment, Hinata's face still pink. "He's your boyfriend." Sasu continued firmly, pointing at Sasuke who worked hard to keep his face from shifting. "Because... I'm... because..." the child paused, as though trying to sort out math in his head, looking back at Hina who was peering at him curiously, waiting.

The only person who had moved was Hinata who grabbed a pillow and stuffed her face into it.

"It's too early... please... please... take them." she gasped through the folds of the cushion and smirking without the worry of her eyes on him Sasuke nodded at the kids. "Let's go. You need to get breakfast."

"But, I was talking!" Sasu gasped as Sasuke threw him on his back. "I was... Hina and I-" he tried again even as Sasuke grabbed the little girl and climbed back onto the window ledge.

"See you in a bit." He called over his shoulder.

Hinata waved, face still buried in the pillow.

Just another morning at the Hyuuga Main House.

so my writers block is kicking my butt. I am sorry. I don't like this chapter... but... ya know... it'll get there.

Whatever.

i need to read, to get back to snuff. So if you have a thing you liked that you read recently. Fanfic is okay but also a book, let me know and I'll give it a gander.

I say yuck, to this chapter.

Much love,

Inky

Also- thank you so much for your reviews which, honestly encouraged me to post today. I also have a chapter finished for Oenomel, but there's five different versions of the same thing... and i can't pick which one is the right one. When I do, I will post. Probably today. (march 2nd)
You guys are amazing. Thank you.