Fugaku laid his head back to try and soothe his splitting head. His youngest coming back, his eldest playing games, the huge contract teetering with an annoying flaky CEO that liked to change their mind on a whim, he could choose any three for the cause.

Fugaku ignored the door that opened and the quiet footsteps. He ignored Hinata as she set something on his desk and bowed before pattering her way back out.

He sighed and rubbed his face. At least Hinata knew not to bother him when he had a headache.

He rubbed his face and looked down at his desk to see what she left. He expected a folder or a stack of papers. Instead, there was a tray from the office cafe with a glass of water, two pills, and a note. 'I moved your meeting with the marketing team back an hour.'

Fugaku sighed and took the medication. At least for now, she wasn't giving him a headache today too.

Hinata straightened her top again and looked at the reflective surface of the elevator. The director had been clear that this was an important client. Unfortunately, she also heard that this client didn't have rhyme or reason as to who they chose for projects. It was possible that anything she did could make them choose not to work with Uchiha. If that was the case, she wouldn't have a job by the end of the day.

Also, in the reflection, she could see the stern face of her boss. She had given him another dose of medication this morning, and from what she could tell, he had taken it, but that was a few hours ago.

She walked with him out to the car, where his driver let them in. She always felt so nervous about sharing a ride with him.

"Do you have any more of those pills?" Fugaku asked.

Hinata nodded, digging into her purse and pulling out the bottle of medication. He held out his hand, and she quickly gave him two.

She realized she didn't have any water, but before she could mention it, he had popped them both back into his mouth like he had done a million times. He swallowed with no trouble and then looked forward out the windshield like it didn't happen.

She wondered now if headaches were common for him. He hadn't complained before. She put the pills back in her purse and folded her hands in front of her. She knew that wasn't in the assistant's book. Maybe if she saw it continue, she would add it, though it wasn't healthy to be taking pain medication all the time. She would have to find something else to reduce it.

Fugaku was annoyed as he usually was with this client, he kept a smile on his face and stayed professional, but he just wanted to wring this old man's neck. After a few hours trying to keep it on track, the CEO seemed all too happy to trail off with a tangent and a story. He was more annoyed that his assistant made the mistake of looking interested in these stories and answering the loons questions happily when he asked her.

Hinata had looked at her phone a few times and back at him. He knew he was late for another meeting, but every time she looked at him, he gave her the signal to ignore it.

His phone started going off silently in his pocket, and he sighed. "Please excuse me. This is my son." He got up to take his call. Hinata stood up, he waved his hand, and she sat back down. "I'll be back." She nodded.

She could be stuck with him for a while.

Fugaku took his call in the hallway, annoyed that he was so desperately needed right this second by his son. Itachi assured him it was urgent and didn't seem to mind what he was interrupting. He knew this was today.

What a brat.

"Did you leave Hinata with him?" Itachi asked on the other end.

"Yes." He huffed. "Why?"

"No reason, just asking." Itachi hummed on the other end.

Fugaku hated that he couldn't just tell him what he wanted to tell him. "I need to go. Cancel the meeting. I'm not going to make it." He hung up on his son and huffed.

His son was getting on his last nerve as of late. He knew full well how difficult this man was, and he chose to wait till now to ask him important questions! Fugaku sighed and collected himself. He didn't know what damage he had caused by leaving Hinata in there to entertain him. He braced for the worse.

He headed back into his surprise to hear laughing, both of them. The old loon opened his arms to him as he came in. "You have a wonderful girl here, Fugaku."

Fugaku stared back at her. Hinata only smiled as she seemed to still be amused.

"You can tell the worth of a man by those he keeps around him." The man joyfully cheered.

Fugaku eyed Hinata for answers, but she just seemed to smile back at the old man.

"Ah, well, it's getting late. I'm sure your son needs you back at the office." The old man huffed. "Do you have that contract, young lady?"

Hinata nodded and scrambled to open the folder and hand it to him.

"Where do I sign?" He asked.

Her hand darted out as she pointed to the places he would need to sign.

What had she said?

Hinata was happy to hold the contract to her chest. Maybe the director's headache would be over now that the contract was signed.

She closed her eyes for a few moments until her boss addressed her. "What did you say to him when I left the room?" He asked harshly.

He did not seem to be as happy with this signed contract as she was. "Uh, he asked what it was like to work for you."

"Which was?" He asked.

She blushed. "I… I said you were hard but fair. You like details and spend time making sure they are in place, but you make time to regularly see your son. And I said that you spend more hours in your office than not." She paused. "He asked if you had a cot in your office, and… without thinking, I said you might never leave if you did." She looked down at her hands. "And he found it funny." To be perfectly fair, what he probably found so funny was how her face dropped in horror at the thought that he could find more reason to stay in the office.

He frowned.

Fugaku stared at the signed contract on his desk. She was good. Very good, better than he thought Hiashi could train her. Purity was something hard to fake, but she had it down to a science.

She was using it to make herself useful to him.

It made him sick. Fugaku held back his rage, knowing the further in she thought she had gotten, the further she would fall when the day came.

It would be worth it in the end.

His frown turned up at the paper, and he even got a bonus out of it.