Author Note: Two more chapters (19/ epilogue: 20) and you guys get both of them at the same time, so yeah.

2.17.2

Sasuke took her to the amusement park and like the child she so often acted like, Hinata enjoyed everything from approaching the area to actually parking and enter to riding some of the rides. She loved the food and attractions. He followed her like an over-worked father, holding stuffed animals and leftover food.

And Sasuke's favorite part? The ride back. She'd fallen asleep after gushing about her time there. Sasuke just really enjoyed the soothing hum of his car, her soft sleeping noises and the sound of nature that seeped in from the small crack of his window.

It was glorious.

When they pulled up, Sasuke managed to carry his sleeping fiancée inside. Storm saw his owners and bounded for the bedroom. Hinata yawned and sat up on the bed. Her hair had reached an awkward length and flopped just under her chin. "I had fun," she said through silted eyes.

Sasuke tapped her forehead and the woman literally fell back to sleep. "Idiot," he mumbled. It was sickening sometimes, just how much he loves her.

::

"You're getting married?" Ino took Hinata's hand in her hold. Turquoise eyes narrowed at the simple ring. "It's pretty…"

Hinata smiled fondly. "I love it. It's beautiful."

Ino held her mug to red stained lips. "You haven't told your father, huh?"

Hinata deflated a bit. "Must you bring up bad things. I'll, um, just send him a note."

The blonde laughed and patted the girl on the back. "That's funny, really. Seriously though, you should invite your father to the wedding."

Hinata rubbed her neck, uncertain. "We m-might not even have a wedding, you know? Maybe just get the papers-"

"What the hell?" Ino shook her head. She apologized to the older teachers that were chatting in front of them then pulled Hinata closer before saying it again. "You don't want a wedding? Every girl wants a wedding, is this Sas-"

"No," Hinata shook her head. "I just don't want anything big and expensive…I told him that."

"How'd he take it?"

She smiled thoughtfully. "Not well, then he just…came around, I guess. He said whatever we do is ultimately up to me anyway."

Ino gave her a side eye. "I just wanted to get dressed up."

Hinata giggled. "Don't worry, there's plenty of time. We aren't rushing."

"Yeah, yeah."

::

Hinata plopped down next to Sasuke with a grin. "I…I want to get a piercing."

He glanced over at her as he rubbed Storm's chin. "Really?"

"Yes. I've been t-thinking about it for a while…"

Sasuke sighed. "Is this like the tattoo thing? You waited until I was about to get started and pussyed out."

Hinata gasped and Storm meowed. "I did not pu…I did not. I'm serious this time. I'm grown."

He huffed. "Grown, heh. We'll see."

"We will."

::
Sasuke honestly didn't know what he was thinking when he took her to get the piercing. No, matter of fact, he didn't know what he thought she was willing to get done.

It didn't hurt, maybe a pinch but it didn't hurt. Hinata was truly proud of herself. It was her first piercing.

Her ears.

She blushed in the mirror, checking out the small blue hearts. "My ears are so pretty now." Sasuke, Gaara and Kankuro all sighed. Their own ears were full of metal. She stood and pushed away her hair further. "I feel really p-pretty." Her cheeks tinted. "I can't wait to show Ino-chan."

"She's almost dangerously cute," Kankuro nudged the Uchiha.

Sasuke didn't pay the man much mind. As long as she was happy, that's all that matters. Hinata walked up to him with a beaming smile. "We're alike now," she took his hands. Sasuke didn't want to remind her that 85% of his body was covered in tattoos and piercings.

"I guess," he humored her.

Hinata wiggled her ears before Temari came out of nowhere and pulled her away. Red walked up to him and the Uchiha groaned audibly. "I'm not trying to cause problems." She raised defensive hands.

"I just rather not speak to you."

She frowned but only for a moment. "I'm sorry, you know? I've been sorry."

"You are sorry," he told her. "Then you tried going after her? Because you thought she was an easy target."

The woman winced but nodded. "I-look," she shifted on her hip. "Obviously no matter of apologizing is going to mend you-"

"What-"

"Let me finish," she hissed. "She's a good girl, damn. I'm happy for you or whatever. That's it. That's all I had to say." Sasuke let her walk off. He didn't care for her opinions.

More important matters being saving his fiancée from Temari's game of 21 questions. She found out everything. How? No one knows.

"Leave her alone."

"We're having girl talk!" She shouted. Hinata's ears were hot red.

::

"Ino said that I should tell my father about this." Hinata watched Sasuke cook dinner. She drummed the counter and watched him shrug. "I want to tell him."

"Then tell him."

"I can't just tell him!" She yelped.

"Why?"

Opal eyes widened at him. "He…he barely likes you. Yeah, he respects you a little but…"

Sasuke wiped his hands with a towel. "I'll tell him."

"Weren't you listening? He-"

"My parents are gone, my brother is gone. I only had Naruto and Jiraiya before you," he explained. "I told all them before asking you."

Hinata looked down at her lap. "I-"

"And I asked your father already so you should probably tell him."

Hinata almost got whiplash from the way she looked at the smirking Uchiha. "You…you…"

Sasuke stiffened when her eyes started to water. "Princess…"

She got out of her seat and padded into the kitchen. Sasuke put his hand at her shoulders to stop the crying woman from getting any closer. "Let me hug you," she cried.

Sasuke frowned. "Stop crying."

"I j-just love you!" She managed to get through his hold. Sasuke sighed when she sobbed into his shirt.

"You're over emotional," he noted after all this time.

"I know," she mumbled in his chest.

Sasuke tried holding her cheeks but ended up bumping her new ear piercing. She crumpled to the floor. Sasuke rolled his eyes and continued cooking. Storm came in and sat on her head.

2.18

Months passed smoothly and Hinata was beginning to think that being engaged wasn't as stressful as the movies and some of her co-workers made it seemed. Then again…her father was bent on them having a wedding.

That's when things got tense. Hiashi was trying to shove in the time he could have spent getting to know Sasuke into a time frame of two and a half months. Her father managed to ruin their easygoing lifestyle over night.

"I hate golfing. I absolutely hate everything about it," Sasuke confessed to his fiancée. Hinata wrinkled her nose when he laid his head on her lap.

"You stink."

He eyed her but proceeded to close his eyes. "I also hate fancy meals and shit."

"Ne, you really stink." Hinata covered her nose.

Sasuke finally sat up with narrowed onyx orbs. He saw the lifting of her cheeks as the woman smiled. Sasuke removed her hands. "You need to become immune to this."

Hinata shook her head. "No!" She squealed when he placed open kisses at her neck. Hinata laughed too hard to even try to push him away. "Sa-Sasuke, stop it."

And he did. "Better luck next time, Princess—" he paused, after hanging with her father for such a long time that name seemed too… Nope. It was too late. It was her name.

"I need your help with the invitations," Hinata wiped her neck with a pout and motioned to the coffee table covered in sample invites. Sasuke swallowed a groan. "I don't want this…" She mumbled.

"Then why are you doing it?" Sasuke pulled off the most uncomfortable long-sleeved, collared shirt of his life. Hinata still had to avert her eyes from his tattooed skin. She doubt she'll get bored of it.

Hinata cleared her throat. "The same reason why you're hanging with him."

"No, I get it. If I had a daughter and she was about to get married to someone who was virtually a stranger to me-"

Hinata raised her hands. "I understand. It's my fault."

Sasuke raised a brow at her saddened features. They had been sad for some time. He grabbed her hand. "Get away from that shit."

Hinata's eyes widened and the petite girl jumped up. "What stuff?"

"Upsetting thoughts," he thumped her in the forehead with the other hand before dragging her to their bedroom. Hinata rubbed her forehead with pressed lips. Sasuke went to grab a change of clothes. "You're only stressing yourself out."

"I know." She mumbled. "I…I just feel like it's too much."

He turned to her. "I got something for you when I get out the shower."

Hinata didn't have a chance to ask before he went in.

::

Hinata was a soon-to-be teacher and wife and she was sure there were some things she shouldn't be doing. Sasuke sat them both on the bed.

"Have you ever done this?"

Hinata blushed, looked away and nodded. "In, um, university. Just a few times."

Sasuke smirked. "Really? I'm not surprised. I bet you were sheltered by your father."

Hinata clasped her hands together. "No, I mean… I just wanted to see… I didn't like partying too much."

Sasuke flicked his lighter. "I'm not judging you. I'm not forcing you, you know?"

She nodded. "I know." Sasuke grinned at the excitement laced in her voice.

::

Storm watched his owners destroy the kitchen. Sasuke took the longest time getting on the counter. Hinata hummed happily and handed him a bag of chips while she devoured cookies. They looked at each other for a moment before laughing. Sasuke covered his mouth but the chuckling keep coming.

"Help me…down," Sasuke motioned her to him. That was a mess. They found their way to the couch. Sasuke pulled the woman into his chest. "Just tell your father you don't want this."

Hinata took a deep breath. "I…I can't."

"Or you won't?" He countered. "I can't have you, uh, stressed out."

Hinata's eyes struggled to stay open. She just wanted to sleep now. "I love you." When she didn't a response, the tired Hyuuga looked back to see Sasuke asleep. "Cute…" She followed his lead.

::

"What do you mean?" Hiashi crossed his arm.

Hinata clasped her knees. Sasuke was just there for moral support. "I really don't -" she paused when Sasuke lightly nudged her. He wanted her to be strong in this decision. "I don't want to have something big and expensive. It's stressful and I have a lot of things to do as it is."

"No."

"Father-"

"You're young. I'm alive. I'm walking you down the aisle."

Hinata's eyes widened as Sasuke's lowered. Okay, well all of this made sense now. The Uchiha male stood and left the two to talk things out. It was truly a family matter. Sasuke closed the door behind him and released a sigh. He looked at his watch. Time could be a luxury and burden. "Tch, bullshit."

::

They agreed on something small, very small. As small as she wanted with the deal of letting her father formally "give her away."

Prefect.

"You don't think things are moving too fast? We'll be legally married in a few weeks!" Hinata breathed after finishing her grading.

Sasuke looked over at her. "I've never been married before so I don't know how fast these things are supposed to feel." Ah, sarcasm.

"And how do you feel?"

He stretched and turned to lay on his stomach. The Uchiha pulled his pillow under him a bit and yawned. "I'm ready for this to be all over."

Hinata rolled her eyes but couldn't agree more. She straddled Sasuke's back and took his shoulders. "Remember when we met?"

"Yes," he grunted as she massaged his back. "You looked like an idiot."

Hinata huffed. "Why did you give me your jacket? I mean…if you're as mean as you claimed and if I was just a random girl…"

"You weren't random. You were my neighbor," he said.

Hinata frowned. "Still…"

"Does it matter? Had I not been a decent person then we wouldn't be here."

Hinata nodded and leaned down to wrap her arms around him. "Thank you for that." She buried her face in his hair. "For the jacket, for staying with me, everything."

Sasuke used the rest of his energy to roll them over…it was the wrong way and they fell to the ground hard. Storm peeped over the edge to see Sasuke just laying on Hinata. "You're c-crushing me!" Hinata laughed and cried at the same time.

"I'm so tired."

"Sasuke!"

He rolled over again. "Thanks, you know, for being forgetful."

Hinata smiled and they stayed there, staring at the ceiling. "You're welcome," she sat up. "We gotta get some rest."

"Nah."

"Nah?" Hinata repeated as she stood over him. The Hyuuga took his hands and tried pulling him up. "Ne, get u-up."

"Nah," he shook his head. "Just send me a pillow and blanket. I'm sleeping down here."

She did and prepared an area right next to him. Storm meowed during the night because they weren't on the bed. Sasuke grabbed the tsundere hairball and sat him between them.

"Stop being a baby." Storm curled next to Hinata. Sasuke shook his head. They would be a weird family and he was completely here for that.

"I had takeout that night before I met you. The fortune cookie said: 'do good onto your neighbor, they will do good onto you.' So you might want to thank that BBQ place." Sasuke confessed.

Hinata hit him with a pillow.