Hinata watched as Sasuke looked at his empty cup. They sat in emotional silence for a while. Would he ask for another cup, or would he just sit there quietly to avoid saying something else to offend her?
Sasuke seemed to be struggling as much as she was.
He clearly didn't want to leave, but he also didn't look much like he wanted to stay.
"Do you have anything harder?" Sasuke asked, finally holding up the mug.
Hinata stared at him for a moment. "You have to drive home." Hinata reminded him.
Sasuke didn't make a rebuttal. He just tilted his head and waited for a yes or no answer. This was his way of asking to stay the night without asking, wasn't it? He didn't want to go home.
Hinata pressed her lip together and nodded, getting up into the kitchen, where she found herself glasses and a bottle of wine for the decorative wine wall thing Itachi told her he would keep stocked for guests.
She put the glasses down and went back to look for a wine cork. She opened a few drawers until she found one.
Sasuke put his hand out to catch it, so she tossed it to him and let him open the bottle. He opened the bottle and poured the glasses.
Hinata took one of the glasses once he filled it and snuggled back into her spot. "The guest room is at the top of the stairs. Towels are in there if you want to shower." Hinata told him as she sipped.
Sasuke nodded. Which told him he did intend to stay. He made a face as he sipped the wine, but it didn't stop him from continuing to drink it. "It's sweet."
Hinata looked at the bottle. "I just picked one up. I don't know wine too well."
Sasuke made a face again as he drank it. "Itachi likes sweet wine."
"So does the director." Hinata mussed.
Sasuke sat back. It was clear he was unhappy, that that was all the further his small talk got him. Where else did he expect it to go?
Hinata looked into her glass. "Even if you're right and I did give up my family for work, what can I really do about it now?"
Sasuke made a face. "I said I was sorry."
"Though rude, you were right. I think I did choose the director over my father. I just didn't realize the decision would also cost me, my sister." Hinata took a sip of her wine. She really should drink too much of it. She was already weepy.
"If my dad hit me, I probably would be running back either," Sasuke admitted. He looked into his glass. He wasn't going home now. He wasn't much different, was he.
"Itachi-san would have come for you, though," Hinata told him.
Sasuke pressed his lips together, knowing she was right.
"I've spent a long time playing, mom. I was worried about what would happen when I moved out, but when I left for this job, Hanabi picked up everything. She was responsible, she was driven, she was happy." Hinata lauded her head off to the side. A tear rolled down quietly like she didn't even notice it. "I guess she doesn't need me anymore."
Hinata stopped drinking before he did. She pitied him and let him stay. She was sure he was upset. She would be if her father tried to marry her. He clearly didn't want to talk about it, but he seemed to have no problem talking about her problems.
Hinata managed to push him to the guest room. She left him a glass of water and threw a blanket over him before heading to the shower herself. He wasn't so drunk she thought he couldn't take care of himself, but she was sure he was tired enough he wasn't going to want to.
She wanted to be angry with him, but she also could understand his anger, his mistrust, his frustration. She saw a lot of the same traits in his father. When she looked at Sasuke, she saw what the director probably looked like when her mother knew him.
Hinata wrung her wet hair and sat on her bed. She took a moment to rebandage her foot and paused. He was caring. He was dutiful. He would be a lot like his father.
Fugaku slammed the door as he came into the manor. "I can not believe you!" He snapped. "Our arranged marriage was a nightmare. You want our boys to go through the same nightmare!"
Mikoto put her hand on her hips and screamed back. "Sakura is a nice girl! They will make a good pair, and we will merge with the Hanaro company."
"Stop thinking like an investor. These are your children! I am not allowing you to do this!" Fugaku growled back. "These boys deserve love. You are not sinking them into a loveless marriage for gain!"
"What? You couldn't marry the Hyuga harpy, so you're going to tell me what I can do for my children!" Mikoto screeched.
Now Fugaku had a migraine. He pressed his hand to his temple. "You know that's not what happened! You know it was never like that!"
"Then why keep her brat around? You know maybe she's yours!" Mikoto shouted.
Fugaku let out a yell of frustration. "Stop trying to make every little thing about Hinata! I owe her a debt." In fact, they were meant to raise their children together. Hinata should have been raised with his boys. "Keep it up, Mikoto, and we will be diving into your past."
Mikoto stepped back and crossed her arms, setting her jaw. "Fine." They both knew he was not the unloyal one. "Keep her away from my boys."
"You're changing the subject." Fugaku rubbed his temples.
"Am I? You sent her home with Sasuke, and where is he now?" Mikoto barked.
Fugaku took out his phone. It was a good question. He should have beat them home. He messaged Hinata. "He's still at her place."
"Oh!" Mikoto snapped with sass.
"He's probably trying to calm her down," Fuagku mumbled thoughtfully. He hadn't even stopped to see what she was upset about. She was holding her phone, had her father called? Was she okay? What did he say?
"Are you listening to me!" Mikoto snapped.
"Honestly, you should be worrying about Sasuke being after her. Itachi has a head start. He's the one that's been approaching her since the beginning." Fugaku told her much more calmly.
Mikoto let out a screech. "I mean it, Fugaku, keep your pet away from my boys."
"Keep your pampered princesses away from my boys!" Fugaku countered.
The argument ended like most of their arguments did. With the two glaring at each other, neither of them got anywhere, and they were both too stubborn. Mikoto snatched her purse and threw it back on her shoulder. "Sakura will win him over. They are a good match." She slammed the door shut on her way out.
Fugaku rubbed his temples and slipped off his shoes.
He made his way up to his office to wait for his son. The least he could do was talk to him when he got home about this. Fugaku's own brother was happy with his arranged marriage. He just wanted his boys to have the choice he didn't have.
After a few hours and no one else came home and Itachi was already upstairs, he made a call.
"Sir?" He got on the other line.
"Hinata, did Sasuke leave?" He asked, looking at the clock.
"No, sir. I was just going to send you a message. He had a few drinks here, so he can't drive home. He's already asleep in the guest room." Hinata told him.
Fugaku sighed. "Don't let him sleep all day tomorrow."
"Yes, sir," Hinata answered.
"Are you okay?" Fugaku asked.
She paused on the other end of the line. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry it won't happen again."
Fugaku wanted to push it. "Good night, Hinata."
"Good night, sir."
Sasuke's head was pounding as he stumbled to Hinata's kitchen. He rifled around for something to eat. He knocked over something on the fridge, which he lent down to pick it up. A picture of Hinata and what must be her sister in a university hoodie might be the one she was planning on going to. He looked at the back. Hanabi.
He heard footsteps coming down the stairs after him, so he put the picture back. She didn't look as hungover as he did. "The coffee's above the machine, in the black canister."
Not what he was looking for, but that would be great too.
Hinata joined him while he made coffee. Within a few minutes, he had coffee, and she had a hot breakfast sizzling on a plate for him.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and poured sugar in it, and brought it with her to the table.
"No milk?" He asked.
Hinata just sipped her coffee. "There's milk in the fridge."
Sasuke drank his coffee black, but he had never seen someone put sugar but no cream in coffee.
"You worried the director. You should have told him you were staying." Hinata scolded.
"Isn't that your job?" Sasuke grumbled.
Hinata frowned at him. "You shouldn't worry about him like that. He needs to keep his blood pressure down."
Sasuke bit down his reply about her own father. He shoved his breakfast into his mouth and looked away.
Hinata looked at her phone, she sighed.
"Late to work?" He asked.
"The director doesn't work on Sundays," Hinata answered, automatically pulling the phone toward her to answer the message that must have been on it. "It's Itachi-sama."
"So you're late for a date?" Sasuke's face twitched. He really needed to stop prodding if he didn't want to be thrown out.
Hinata just frowned, not bothering to answer him. "He'll be over in an hour. He's bringing you clothes. He wanted to hang out."
"Tell him he can not bother." Sasuke sipped his coffee.
Hinata looked up from her phone and turned her frown at him. "Your brother wanted to spend time with you."
"He wants to spend time with YOU." Sasuke corrected.
Hinata's face flattened. "It's not a competition."
Sasuke's eyebrows knit together.