I'm so sorry for the late update. I was ill T.T

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Aftermath: Habit (2)

Barely visible vapour wafted upwards. It was silent in the room. Sun light penetrated inside through a thin screen and as it filtered through the rice fibre sieve, it coloured the room in a warm and cosy tint. Yet, the only warm and cosy thing in this room was the atmosphere itself. Well, perhaps the steamy tea as well.

A bird chirped outside, but two men inside did not stir a muscle, staring at the floor. They were sitting on tatami with their legs crossed, one in front of the other. They did not move and it seemed that only their auras fought for space in the room. They were figuratively separated by a wall of tea tray, set in the middle of the room.

Eventually Hyuuga Hiashi reached out his hand and took one steamy cup. This motion of his sort of switched on the green light, and Sasuke also reached out his hand, gripping a cup full of hot transparent liquid. As he put the refined porcelain to his lips, Sasuke didn't take his eyes off the Hyuuga leader, whose face did not betray any thoughts. Not a muscle stirred. Hyuuga sipped the tea with his eyes closed and one would've thought there was nothing to be aware of, but Sasuke knew all too well that even closed eyes of byakugan were not harmless.

He rested his left hand onto his thigh, trying to project an image of a relaxed person, yet of one who could not be taken lightly. He had a sleeve of his black and thin Uchiha sweater (naturally, with the fan on his back) slightly pulled upwards, and it tightened around his forearm. On his way to the Hyuuga block he had thought over all the arguments possible and he even considered the desperate measures he would have to take up if Hyuuga Hiashi needed to be driven into a dead-end. Yet he hoped there would be no need to use these extremities. Despite the reputation, Sasuke had a hunch that Hiashi was a manageable and logical man. Supposing that, one picks up correct arguments to convince him. And if all the assumptions from before aren't false, of course.

"To whom am I indebted for such unexpected visit?" Hiashi asked, putting the cup in front of him. Not even a slightest clang came. Sasuke cocked his eyebrows mentally (as he did not really dare to do it for real, he didn't want to try that man's patience, it was a lot more sensible to probe him little by little). One could've thought that Hiashi was mocking him. Isn't it your own fault, you asshole, Sasuke thought.

"I think you are perfectly aware of all the reasons present," Sasuke didn't even bother to look up at him. He pretended to be highly interested in his tea cup.

"Which means that you have properly used the time left."

A part of Sasuke began pumping blood so violently that he suddenly wished he could punch Hyuuga Hiashi in the face. Though not too hard.

"I cannot guarantee that," he put the teacup onto the tray and looked up at Hiashi. His face was as cold as marble, but Sasuke had no doubt that there was a storm raging behind that mask. Serves you right, Uchiha thought.

"Then I do not really understand what you expect of me."

"What are you trying to say," Sasuke put on an emotionless mask, wondering at the old man's insolence. He realized horrified that some time ago he used to be exactly the same Mr I-know-what's-right-and-we're-doing-it-my-way.

"I am trying to say that until the final result is evident, we shall take care of everything," Hiashi said decisively and Sasuke could suddenly see a cold and horrible lab full of the ugliest gadgets you could possibly imagine. His heart began beating even faster.

"Pardon me for being so straightforward," Sasuke leaned forwards and he set his dark eyes right onto Hiashi's face. "But if you were going to use your daughter as a brood mare, you should've at least found out that the Uchiha blood is always dominant."

As he was a master is disguising his own emotions, Sasuke immediately understood that once he said that Hiashi had to muster all of his remaining will, so that he wouldn't punch Sasuke here and now and break his neck. Sasuke had to pull himself together too. So that he wouldn't smirk.

"You have a high level of insolence, Uchiha," Hiashi's calm voice enveloped him like icy tongues. Sasuke sighed and straightened himself, putting his hands onto his knees, resolving to blow here and now; as he realized that there would be no other better opportunity, because Hyuuga's defence was invincible.

"Hiashi-san, let us be honest," he uttered in a voice of a skilled negotiator. "Ever since the Academy days we have all seen how "useful" Hinata is to you. And how much you "value" her as the Hyuuga heir. So it's no surprise you've been hoping to benefit from her this way at least. I must admit the plan isn't so bad – add sharingan to your collection. And if it does fall through in the end, you'd have another positive Hyuuga, right?" Hiashi said nothing; he just listened while Sasuke was reading him as an open book. "Yet not all aspects were considered to the fullest. It would be so much easier if people were hollow like dolls," Sasuke glanced at Hiashi and the way his dark eyebrows knotted one could've thought he would start throwing kunai any second now. "If your hypothesis is correct and your gate is closed, I'm coming over, because the brat is mine. If everything is locked and impossible to reach I have a feeling you're giving the brat over to me, but I'm coming over nonetheless, because the mother is mine too."

"Your point being?" Hiashi narrowed his eyes.

"All I need is the person. Not the title," Sasuke declared.

Hiashi sat straight, staring at the young man in front of him. It was hard to believe that Uchiha Sasuke had actually come here already having a particular vision in his mind and he actually was proposing to compromise. He proposed an agreement. That damn bastard clearly realized the fears Hiashi had and how it could affect the whole Hyuuga clan. He offered to push the main worry off Hiashi's shoulders. To choose the lesser evil of the two. But even so Hiashi could hardly deal with it.

"Or?" he asked.

"Or the Hyuuga hierarchy shall see a drastic change," Sasuke leaned even closer keeping his eyes on Hiashi. "Hinata's still the heir, isn't she?"

If that moment Hyuuga Hiashi had been omnipotent, he would have smitten Sasuke with a lightning or swept him off the face of the planet. In one tiny second of weakness he really considered breaking Uchiha's neck there and now, which would have easily closed this case, yet the problem was that:

* he was rather hard to kill; and

* he had Uzumaki Naruto behind his back, a most definite future hokage of the village, who would've unleashed the hell onto the Hyuuga clan, had something happened to his precious friend.

"So?" Sasuke asked in an emotionless voice. The anger had evaporated as suddenly as it had appeared.

Hell with him, Hiashi thought, reaching for the teacup calmly.

* * *

She told them everything. Well, figuratively speaking. More than she could've said to any of her "friends", but less that she would've told Neji. That is, she would if she weren't scared shitless.

She was sitting on the stairs in front of Ichiraku Ramen, hugging her knees and staring at the pavement and various feet treading onto it. Yet her eyes saw nothing. Akamaru was lying at her feet, stretched at full-length and his master was squatting at her left, having no words to say.

Shino was standing propped against the beam right next to the entrance to the ramen shop, with his arms crossed and half of his face hidden behind the high collar of his jacket. Hinata could swear he was staring right at her, but it would've been hard to prove, because Shino was always hiding behind his huge collar and dark shades.

The warm weather made him change his wardrobe and the grey jacket was tailored out of thin material and it was short-sleeved, but the collar still remained. And even though Hinata could feel a vapour coming from him (which meant that Shino was basically steaming inside), he wasn't bothering her as much as Kiba.

That fang was squatting next to her on the second step and was staring at her with his eyes narrowed, rubbing his chin.

"Hnnn…" he hemmed with a rising intonation.

That was a third time already. That was the only sound he produced in the past five minutes. The giant dog at Hinata's feet yawned. Hinata leaned down and scratched Akamaru's ear. People were running to and fro in the street while Team 8 waited in silence. Kiba breathed in to hem again.

"Kiba, that's enough," Shino erupted eventually. "Just say it!" a vein popped on his temple.

Hinata smiled fractionally as Kiba frowned, cornered by an unexpected Shino's remark. He pouted and turned away from Hinata, eventually sitting down properly and putting his feet onto the ground. He hunched and, propping his elbow onto his knee, he put his chin into his palm.

"Well, I knew you were a pervert, but as to that extent…"

WHAM!

"Argh!" Kiba crouched snatching at his head, where Shino's fist had just landed. Aburame stood at his side, ready to smack once more if need be. "What for?!" Kiba exclaimed teary-eyed.

"For incompetence," Shino explained calmly, leaning against another beam.

Kiba sighed and looked down, suddenly very serious. He unconsciously began ruffling Akamaru's fur.

"But out of so many people… Uchiha," he mumbled.

"If one would think logically, it's not such a bad option at all," Shino said.

"Traitor," Kiba grumbled.

Hinata suppressed a smile. They really cared about her and they didn't want her to leave the team for good. Shino and Kiba even declared that they would not function as Team 8, until Hinata is back, and she had a terrible pang in her stomach, because somewhere deep inside she was sure she wouldn't be back for a very long time. Unless of course a miracle would manifest itself and it would be really easy to take care of the child.

Her brain was struck by electricity. The child. She could never get used to even think of that. She would have begun spazzing if it weren't for her calm nature, so it was no surprise it took a few helpings of cinnamon rolls for her to actually tell everything to her closest friends. Good thing Kiba always carried a box or two of her favourite food just in case they had to squeeze some important info out of her.

Suddenly Shino totally disappeared behind his collar.

"Speaking of the devil…"

Hinata and Kiba looked up at Shino and then turned towards the direction their teammate was looking at. And Hinata's stomach churned even more. It was really Sasuke over there, a few crossroads away. He was walking decisively towards them, and it seemed he completely blanked the people around him, who actually were moving out of his way.

His eyes were focused on one individual only and Hinata felt as if she had been hit with a wet mop, as it was the first time she saw him like this. Though one couldn't claim he was being arrogant. To be honest, he more likely resembled an invisible man or a shadow, which would have been left unnoticed if it wasn't for the nonchalant grace in his motions and the black clothes stuck to his body. That dark figure was certainly distinctive amidst the background of a bright, playful and colourful spring.

Kiba and Shino tensed noticeably, although they did try to pretend they did not care. When she could hear his footsteps among the ruckus of the day, even Akamaru looked up to check out the newcomer, and Hinata was about to hold back the dog to stop him from biting, but it turned out to be different from she had expected.

Sasuke halted right in front of them and gave Shino and Kiba a passing glance. Usually such kind of a glance would have meant an invitation for a fight, but it was clear Sasuke had no intentions to scuffle with Kiba and Shino. Naturally, Kiba would've had no problem, if Akamaru had nibbled at Sasuke's shin, but the dog just sniffed Sasuke's shoe lazily without a hint of interest and put his head down onto his paws again.

"Traitor," Hinata could swear she heard Kiba mumble silently.

Her shoulders quivered with a suppressed laugh and she looked up only to see a dark glance piercing right through her. And she suddenly realized he was alive. Well, ALIVE. Conversation with her friends totally banished other issues from her head, while Sasuke had actually gone and met her father. And he came out unharmed. Not a single scratch on him. No stupor or hidden pain which could be betrayed by his posture.

Then suddenly his face softened by 0.01% and he reached out his right hand. Right at her. Hinata eyed his elegant palm equipped with long and strong fingers and then looked up at him again, not completely sure of what was going on here.

"It's alright," he said although it seemed his lips didn't move at all. Hinata was so puzzled she thought she heard that voice in her head instead. She glanced at her teammates timidly, but Kiba didn't even bother to look at her, he just pushed her with his shoulder gently, and Hinata gave Sasuke her left hand, feeling totally lightheaded.

Perhaps it was in his fingers. Perhaps her skin had some weird reaction to his fingertips. It was just a simple holding hands. Yet warmth spread across her body, although she couldn't quite pinpoint or name it. Sasuke stood as a statue of ice. He looked colder than the coldest winter possible, but something in those fingers gripping her hand… Warmth. It was all one could feel. All kinds of warmth. Whatever there could be. Not only physical.

He pulled her up slightly, helping her to get up, and once Hinata regained her balanced she tried to pull her hand out of his grip, but Sasuke didn't let her go. She glanced at their holding hands, then up at him, but the young man in front of her didn't bother to explain anything. He just tightened his grip around her hand and took her along with him.

Hinata felt as if she'd been presented under a microscope lens. As if everybody was watching her. Though, come to think of it, it was so. No one could ignore the only Uchiha alive and the Hyuuga heir holding hands. Separately they clearly did not raise any suspicion. Well, perhaps a person or two would still gossip about Sasuke as he would pass by, but now it resembled an explosion. As if a celebrity, who had been extremely secretive about his personal life up to now, had showed up in a crowd. And now, as they emerged into the daylight, Hinata really thought that any second now a bloodsucker harpy would jump out of the next corner and tear her to shreds.

She tried to pull her hand out once more, but Sasuke just tightened his grip. Hinata looked around alarmed, feeling hawk-eyed looks piercing her from everywhere.

"People are watching" she whispered.

"Let'em watch," he said nonchalantly.

Hinata stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at him in astonishment.

"Aren't you ashamed?" she asked. Sasuke frowned and his eyes were clearly saying: "are you out of your mind?"

"Why should I be?" he shrugged.

Hinata blinked rapidly. People were running to and fro, but the background blurred into one vague glob, and the only vivid thing left was that weird person in front of her. Eventually she gave a faint smile and propped her free arm against his shoulder, letting him lead her wherever he wished. But he came to halt after a few more steps.

"You want it now or later?" he asked looking down at her. Hinata bit the inside of her cheek, trying to grasp what on earth he was talking about, yet, instead of asking a question, she let her thoughts run free. And the result of that was visible on her face, because the pale skin turned red in an instant. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Hentai. There's only one thing on your mind," he smirked, feeling unexpectedly pleased. "You want to pack your stuff now or later?"

"Eh?" Hinata turned even redder (if that was possible), as he teased her. "Stuff?" her eyes widened suddenly. "You mean…?"

"I left your father's alive," he gave another nonchalant shrug. "I guess, that means… yes?"

Hinata let go of his arm and clamped her mouth shut, as if preventing some abrupt scream from escaping her throat. Then she suddenly snatched him at his sweater, pulled him closer and kissed him. Sasuke's hair like totally stood on end (not in 75, but in 90 degrees).

"People are watching," he mumbled, trying to avoid her lips.

"Let them watch."

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To be continued...

(some time around. again.)