Dreamcatcher

By Airyo

The Last Supper - 3


Hinata readjusted her sleeves again, even though she'd messed with them so often that the pressed fabric was already twisted and limp. Her insides seemed to feel the same abuse and squirmed again. She should have sent a message. She'd been overtaken by a sudden illness, and it would be so impolite of her to vomit all over her hosts.

But it was too late. It would be a little strange to send a messenger when she was already sitting at the dinner table with the Uchiha main family. Fugaku and Itachi remained deathly silent while Mikoto kept the polite conversation alive with Sasuke's help. Hinata politely made sure her mouth was full at all times and therefore was unable to contribute. But as determined as she was to focus on her fascinatingly white rice, Hinata remained sharply aware of Itachi, was seated across from her.

Instead of his usual uniform, he wore a black yukata, and Hinata had no doubt that the Uchiha fan was emblazoned on the back. Superficially, he looked very much the same. She had no reason to blush nor be overtaken by nerves, but it was the first time it hit her hard just who she'd been meeting with all these weeks.

"...the wisteria are in bloom," Sasuke abruptly mentioned. Mikoto's eyes brightened.

"Hinata-san," she said. Hinata's hand spasmed, but she managed to catch her chopsticks. Not that an entire family of ninja would have missed her fumble. Fugaku narrowed his eyes slightly, but merely wiped his mouth and remained silent. Hinata glanced back at the woman.

"Yes, Mikoto-san?"

"After dinner, would you like to see the Uchiha gardens? The wisteria trees are still in bloom. We would all join you, but the path is so narrow and so many of us would ruin the scenery..." Mikoto trailed off sadly, heartbroken by her inability to be a polite and proper hostess.

"But you know the gardens well enough to give the tour just by your lonesome, neh Aniki?" Sasuke pipped up, eyes bright and full of hero worship for such a genius older brother.

Mikoto joined in by looking at the eldest son with an expression that everyone knew only pretended to be questioning.

There was a pause. Itachi set his chopsticks down with a sharp clack.

"It would be my pleasure," the eldest son gritted out as he stood and approached Hinata's side of the table. Though he looked sternly at his little brother the entire way.

"You're welcome," Sasuke said with a smirk that was so wide it may as well be an evil grin. Mikoto waved.

Fugaku just sipped his tea, though the furrow between his brows had deepened considerably.

Hinata had little choice but to accept Itachi's offered elbow - it was the polite thing to after all, even if she thought she might shrivel up in embarrassment - and followed him out the room.


AN: Not gonna lie - Mikoto is starting to terrify me a little.