Where Are The Stars Chapter 7, a naruto fanfic

I do not own Naruto…

Seconds passed before Itachi looked up. Dark alluring eyes looked into pale crystallized ones. Hinata blushed. He thought she looked beautiful. He had to look away. They were standing too close together… again.

Recap:

The Uchiha lady nodded, emitting, "Thank you." She limped ahead with some difficulty before turning around, asking, "Itachi… what is your favorite food?"

Itachi ate his dinner with gusto. He can't deny the karei shioyaki was really good. The flat fish was beautifully seasoned and broiled and the accompanying lotus root garnish tasted amazingly delicious in home-made ponzu sauce.

To say that he had underestimated his sister-in-law's capability was an understatement. Itachi had never in his wildest dreams thought that Hinata could perform anything beyond frying eggs. Yet, she could actually cook and, she was able to cook not only for his brother, but also for the whole family. In addition, she had even been able to produce his suggested recipes with apt. Privately, the brother-in-law felt guilty for his previous judgments of the young lady's abilities. She had definitely proven him wrong tonight.

As he quietly took pleasure in the dinner, the older Uchiha wondered if Sasuke enjoyed the meal as much… karei shioyaki is Itachi's favorite.

Throughout dinner, Hinata's cooking became the main subject of conversation. Her parents-in-law have nothing but praises for her. Everyone was more than surprised at her expertise - Hinata was like a seasoned chef. The sashimi entrée had been artistically arranged. She had toiled over it with much patience. Sasuke's parents were temporarily held speechless when she brought the dish in earlier. Clearly, having Hinata as a daughter-in-law has proven to be more than pleasant. She was a real gift.

Hinata searched Sasuke's expression for any signs of approval. He stayed impassive throughout, only nodding once or twice to his mother's banters and nudges. She wondered if he liked the food. He made no comments. Silently, she hoped he would actually say something… anything. She was even ready to hear him criticize the food. His behavior was unreadable. It was frustrating. She wondered if Sasuke even liked karei shioyaki…

Looking around, the young lady found Itachi enjoying his food with delight. He was having his third serving of rice. Hinata smiled. She was happy that at least someone else seemed to take pleasure in the food she had prepared. Subsequently, she wondered if the brother-in-law was wrong. What if her husband didn't like broiled flat fish? She wouldn't know. Sasuke and she have yet to reach a friendly phase of conversation. It was more than exasperating…

In truth, Hinata had given up hope of ever being in a normal marriage. It had been four long months. Sasuke hadn't touched her at all. It didn't matter anymore. In fact, she was ready to die unimpaired… pure and whole. So many times, she had wanted to confront her husband about his sexuality. It was tempting to know... Yet, she had chosen not to intervene, deducing that Sasuke is indeed gay… that was the only reason. Having a gay husband was nothing to be proud of. She didn't want to embarrass her spouse. She didn't want to embarrass herself. Nobody should know…

Many nights, when she was alone, Hinata wondered if Sasuke was out with his partner – sharing a drink, holding hands, kissing... In addition to her imagination, she often wondered who the other person would be. Could Naruto be the one? Sasuke seemed to like hanging out with his blue-eyed friend a lot. They have been friends since school days. Naruto seemed the most likely candidate. She didn't want to believe the blonde is gay though... but he might be. So many times, she found herself feeling sorry for Sakura. The pink-haired lady and Naruto are engaged. Sakura will live a life like hers…

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Itachi entered the posh kitchen from the back door, the smell of baking pastries immediately invading his nostrils. He had just come home from his morning run and was thirsting for a good swig of water. The sight of Hinata with an apron over her clothes didn't surprise him anymore as he walked in. She looked up and they traded smiles.

Of late, the sister-in-law had been spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Itachi had finally figured out that she wasn't only good in cooking - she actually loved it. The many times he found her slaving in the kitchen was proof enough. The family had been blessed with good food for the past couple of months.

After retrieving a bottle of cold mineral water from the refrigerator and taking a good quaff, Itachi walked towards the kitchen island to observe Hinata at work. "What are you doing?" he asked casually.

The Uchiha lady was filling tart shells with some yellowish liquid. "Egg tarts," she said, concentrating hard on not spilling the gooey substance.

"Egg tarts?" Itachi asked. He loved egg tarts.

Hinata nodded.

The two stayed quiet as the young lady continued the task at hand. Walking over to the oven, Itachi peeped through the glass door. He had never smelled anything as tempting. The tarts were browning beautifully and looked deliciously good. The Uchiha wondered if anyone had ever baked anything in that oven. The metal box had acted more like a decorative item before this.

Struck with a sudden idea, the older Uchiha turned around asking, "Hinata… since you're good with food, can you perhaps, give me some suggestions as to what I can serve in Akatsuki?

Hinata looked up, confused.

"Akatsuki Pub…"

"Oh, right," the Uchiha lady answered, remembering the tavern that Itachi had mentioned to her before in one of their conversations.

"I was wondering if you could help us with our menu," the male asked sincerely.

"Me? Are you sure, Itachi?"

"Yeah."

"Actually," Hinata offered, as she put her jug of egg mixture down. "I like the idea… But, I don't know… I've never been to your place before."

"Right… You should get down there one of these days. Come down with Sasuke. I don't want to sound boastful but, the place is a popular hang-out. You'd love it there."

"Okay."

"But I have to admit that the food there is just so-so."

"Oh?"

"Well, the place is still packed most weekends. We serve great drinks and I think the ambience is good. If only…"

"If only you can come up with some nice food too?"

"Not just nice. Good would sound a lot better... Any suggestions?"

Hinata thought for a while. "Umm… you can try pork chops in soft custard buns."

"Custard… buns?"

"Burgers! Pre-marinated pork chops in hand-made custard buns."

"Well…, that sounds… delicious?"

"Let's see, you can also have mizu mame, tamago dofu... Umm... I think I'll make these one of these days. You can try them before you decide on any. We can experiment with different types of food. That… that'll be fun."

"I… um, I like the idea."

"Anyway, I still need to know what you serve there before I can comment further."

"Then come over one of these days. Sasuke comes down quite often."

"He does?" the young lady asked in surprise before the smell of burnt pastries entered their nostrils. "Oh, my!" Hinata cried as she frantically looked around for a glove. The tarts were going to be burnt.

In her panic, she couldn't find the glove so she opted for a table cloth instead. Hastily opening the door to the oven, the Uchiha lady attempted to take the partly burnt tarts out. The heat from the tray seeped through the cloth easily, burning her fingers in the process. Hinata quickly dropped the tray onto the counter before grasping both hands tightly. She had been careless.

Recognizing her distress, Itachi immediately grabbed his sister-in-law's injured hands. Hinata gasped in surprise. Firmly tugging her towards the basin, the older Uchiha lowered her hands into it, turning the tap on at the same time. The cool water on her burnt fingers should give her a temporary relief. He then strode towards the refrigerator, quickly retrieving a handful of ice cubes and dropping them into a bowl. Then, Itachi walked over to the sink, filled the bowl with water before grabbing Hinata's hands again and dipping them in. The relief was instant. Her fingers turned cold and numb.

"Itachi…" Hinata softly muttered. Itachi was still holding on to her hands.

The Uchiha released his grip. He suddenly realized that his heart was beating exceptionally fast. He needed a distraction…

"Well, I think some of those tarts are still good," he said, hoping that she didn't notice his sudden uneasiness.

Inwardly, Itachi was cursing himself. He had never felt that way before. He wasn't himself… or was he? He realized he talked too much in her presence. Everything felt so natural with her. Their conversations were... weirdly comfortable.

"It's okay… I… I'm making more," Hinata said.

Itachi nodded.

"Looks like you put too much confidence in me…" the Uchiha lady laughed quietly. "Fancy having burnt egg tarts?"

"That was an accident… I interrupted your work."

"I… I don't mind. Thanks for helping me," Hinata said, lifting her hands out of the bowl as she spoke.

"That was only temporary. You'll probably need to apply some cream over the burnt area later."

"I will… Thanks."

The brother-in-law nodded again before he attempted to leave the kitchen. "By the way..., Hinata," he said as he turned around at the doorway. "I'd really like you to come over to the tavern one of these days. The offer is still open. I like that burger thing you suggested just now... with the… the custard bun... you know?"

Hinata smiled at how little Itachi knew about food. "I'd go over one of these days," she promised.

For the briefest of moments, the two traded stares and smiles. Hinata suddenly felt drawn to the male's handsome features – his dark enticing eyes; his defined, straight nose; his striking, thin lips… Consciously, she turned to her tarts. She could feel her heart rapidly racing. She felt confused. Something wasn't quite right…

Itachi cleared his throat. He had to get away. He was normally cool… collected. He could feel his composure crumbling. Something inside was stirring…

A/N : I'd like to inform that after this chapter, I'd only be posting new chapters every other week (wonder if I'd get more reviews that way. lol). I want to start working on another story at the same time, a Gaa/Hina. I'm still not quite sure about the storyline for that but because I've spent a lot of time doing research on Japanese weddings and arranged marriages and a lot of other Japanese culture thing, I thought I'd like to use the information on another story. Hope it works.

Anyway, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have made my day by reviewing my story so far. Thanks to Darth-Taisha, champylin, Sakurablossom009, chinew, WindCompass13, HinaHyuugaSan, Yin-Yan-Yum-Yum, xsugarbearx, xX Angel Of Agony Xx, shikamaru lover4ever, Sepsis, JamKa, Buffy-CrazyaboutAngel, winterkaguya and DarkSacredJewelXoX. Your reviews had meant a lot to me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.