Chapter 2, Serendipity.
His lips were everywhere, and she was catching fire.
They spilled out from the warmly-lit bar into the alleyway in a flurry of exploring hands and misplaced mouths. The encompassing shadows of midnight consumed the pair; though neither appeared to notice as his lips stitched pretty words against her oh-so lovely skin.
He paused, abruptly. Her starry eyes fluttered open in question, her cheeks still tinged a magnificent scarlet. Unsaid words swam across the black uncharted waters of his eyes.
A brief moment of hesitation; of questioning whether this, her –them – was a good idea. He bit his lip, watching the heiress twitch and quiver beneath him. She was a pretty picture in her white dress against bleak surroundings. And he wanted it all. Now.
His eyes, dark and covetous seared into hers, like they had so many times before.
"Sasuke," she breathed as his hand ensnared hers.
Sakura lay perfectly still, an ivory and rose-tinted statue. Apart from the green slits of her eyes that watched the sporadic raindrops dash against the windowpane.
Naruto lay beneath her, his tanned fingers rubbing a soothing pattern of loops across her back as he recounted last night. His voice was a little too loud for Sakura's throbbing head, but she said nothing. Only vaguely listening to him as she dipped in and out of the wonderful serenity of unconsciousness.
She had a shift in the hospital in just under an hour. She winced, pressing her cheek against Naruto's chest. Nestling into the warmth he presented.
"…And Hinata was just acting so weird. First she got sick on my shoe," Naruto sniffed. Despondence and mourning for his shoe suffused his languid tone. "Then, she kept insisting on stopping for food during the mission."
Sakura nodded against his chest, she wasn't really paying attention to his story. Her head was too sore and she could think of far better things to do with Naruto. All of which included less talking and far more tentative lips and wandering hands.
"…She kept ordering onigiri too! She said she had been craving since we left Konoha," Naruto continued.
Sakura paused. Her small, willowy form tensed and she propped herself up on her elbows to regard the blonde with suspicious eyes. "She had cravings for onigiri?"
The Uzumaki didn't really understand Sakura's sudden interest. There was a strange accusative scowl pinned to her cheeks and her forehead was scrunched. He shrugged. Hinata's abrupt adoration for onigiri wasn't her largest wrongdoing in his eyes; it was her sullen and reserved mood last night. "She didn't even have a drink for Shikamaru's birthday."
Realisation flashed across Sakura's verdant eyes as her lips parted. "Oh,"
The heady smell of jasmine and lilies peppered the air as the breeze filtered through the flora of the garden. Hinata stood perfectly still on the little wooden bridge that crossed the stream that teetered and curved through the Hyuuga grounds.
She was dressed exclusively in black – a stark contrast to the vivid hues and tints of dawn. Great sweeping swirls of pink, pale blue and lilac painted the morning sky, casting everything in an odd, almost unsettling pale glow.
It was a still morning. The rain had eased off. No sound – even the morning birdsong was absent from the heavy silence that weighed down upon the air.
Hinata bit her lip and shrank away from the memories of last night which assaulted her mind in a violent barrage of icy encounters with the Uchiha. Confusion ebbed and swelled among her watery eyes as she forced herself to contemplate the future. A future so starkly different from the one she imagined as a little girl.
There was no opulent marriage, no cosy home. No Naruto – a fact she'd been so set on in her youth. She was going to end up with the easy to adore Uzumaki and he would rid her of every struggle and insecurity she ever had with one his easy, carefree smirks. Hinata had never once – even for a moment – pondered a future tangled with the dark-haired Uchiha. Until several months ago.
She blushed, despite herself as she ruminated the feeling of his lips against her skin and how his eyes darkened when he laughed. How his smirk always deepened when she'd blush, how he said her name-
"Hinata,"
She stiffened, before she whirled around to focus on the wiry figure standing in a pool of shade. The breeze tugged at their hair and loose shirt.
"Hanabi," Hinata greeted her younger sister with a degree of caution that caused Hanabi to stare suspiciously.
Something about Hinata was off. Hanabi was sure of that. Her elder sister had been acting strange for a while now. There was an unfamiliar gleam in her eyes at such curious times. A knowing secretive gleam that Hanabi's power of observation were not privy to – and Hanabi hated it. She loathed not understanding her surroundings. Hanabi was an analytical and assiduous person. She liked to observe and watch things unfold, and manipulate them thus. She was so use to reading Hinata like an open book. But her once transparent sister had moulded into a secretive and sombre heiress, and Hanabi didn't like it.
"What are you doing?" Hanabi asked. The blazing dawn painted her reflective eyes a fiery pink. She looked pretty. She is pretty, Hinata thought maternally. Hanabi had grown up at some point, and Hinata had missed it.
"I'm going to buy flowers and talk to Ino,"
"Why?"
Hinata moved towards her, ignoring the estranged look plastered across Hanabi's face. Though Hinata was four years her senior, Hanabi was taller. She had a willowy lean form. Hinata had always been the soft, delicately spun one – both in exterior and interior. But not anymore, somewhere between the Fourth Shinobi War and relentless Anbu missions, her delicacy had faded and hardened. Hinata's once tangible innocence stripped. She really did hope Hanabi would never change.
Hinata smiled sadly as she ran a small hand through Hanabi's inky hair. Hanabi pretended to look affronted and chose to look away, an embarrassed scowl tugged at the ends of her lips. "I'll see you this evening," Hinata promised.
"No you won't. I'm training with Konohamaru for the day." Hanabi tried to look casual. She did try. But the besotted gleam residing deep within the usual icy pools of her eyes was sacrosanct.
"Have fun," was all Hinata said. Her smile practised and perfected. Naruto had informed Hinata on their mission yesterday that Konohamaru was madly, deeply and thoroughly in love with his team-mate, Moegi. What was another heartbreak from a future Hokage to the Hyuuga sisters anyway?
When he stumbled upon her, she was outside the flower shop. Cradling a single red tulip in her small, caring hands. He froze at the simple sight of her, forgetting his train of thought. As he neared her things such as reason and logic seemed to disappear.
"What are you doing?" he asked honestly.
She didn't bother to acknowledge his presence, but merely continued to admire the flower display. Her fingers traced the silken petals of the tulip. A lock of amethyst fell in front of her eyes, but she ignored that too. His jaw stiffened as he beheld the Hyuuga, waiting for her to say something, anything – scream or cry – but she didn't. She refused to acknowledge his presence. And that irritated the Uchiha. A lot.
For some inane reason, he reached forward. Seizing her tiny wrist and tugged her towards him. Forcing her distant starry eyes to focus on the germinating tempest within his gaze. She complied, allowing him to reel her closer to him, for reasons unbeknownst to both of them.
He positioned her directly in front of him. So he could see the entirety of her and she could feel his warm hurried breath on her cheeks. She locked eyes with him, and didn't falter once. A cold, stagnant silence answered him, and he hated it with every fiber of being.
She looked profoundly different from last night. No large imploring eyes with cascading tears. No trembling bottom lip. No, there was something new in her astral eyes that Sasuke found himself unable to read. Normally her eyes were translucent windows to her thoughts and emotions to him. However, today, they were reflective mirrors. His confused expression look back at him from their ivory depths.
She, too, appeared to be studying him, searching for something to reveal his intentions.
She raised a subtle eyebrow, and he found himself unable to answer immediately. Words clung to his throat like metal shrapnel from a shuriken wound. He frowned. "What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, looking away as they both knew he didn't give a damn about why she was here.
She answered anyway. Her voice feathery and velveteen. "I'm getting flowers," she paused before continuing. "I always buy flowers on Sunday mornings."
He nodded. Not really sure why she felt the need to tell him such trivial facts. He also found it hard to focus on much else other than the fact that her small, careful wrist was still encased within his steely grip. She wasn't resisting his grip either, which made the embrace even more strange and confusing.
A reply seemed to bubble across his lips, but he remained silent. His eyes searing into hers with a ferocity that almost made her blush. Almost. "Sasuke?"
His gaze flickered downwards towards her abdomen and he opened his mouth.
"Sasuke? Hinata?" A languid voice called.
The pair stiffened. Hinata felt a burning red blush crawl over her cheeks as she whirled around to face their persecutor. She pulled at her hand, but Sasuke's grip tightened in response. In fact, Hinata almost swore he drew her closer to him. Angling her behind him.
"Shikamaru!" Hinata breathed.
"Hey," he returned aloofly. The Nara genius opted to stroll nearer the couple for a closer inspection. He stopped, glancing at Hinata's hand encased in Sasuke's before he added slowly: "What are you two up to?"
"N-nothing!" Hinata stammered.
"Buying flowers." Sasuke commented, never taking his eyes off Shikamaru.
"Okay?" Shikamaru returned slowly. He paused, frowning, as he tried to figure out the kekkei genkai users in front of him. Something was most definitely off as he had suspected last night. Hinata's burning cheeks and white eyes full of dread suggested that. But it was Sauske's almost protective stance around the bumbling heiress that confirmed it for the Nara. Sasuke didn't like anyone. He loathed being touched. And yet, here was the Uchiha initiating physical contact with Hinata.
The two had a sort of tangible synergy between them.
It was…curious. And very interesting.
Shikamaru opened his mouth to pry further when his mercurial girlfriend appeared at the doorway of her shop. An accusatory scowl stretched across her lips as she took in the heated exchange in front of her.
Sasuke looked murderous. Hinata looked as though she was about to faint. Shikamaru looked bemused?
"What's going on?" Ino demanded.
"Nothing," Hinata said quickly.
"I was just conversing with Sasuke and Hinata." Shikamaru explained, walking towards the blonde kunoichi.
Ino, too, looked confused over Sasuke and Hinata's proximity. She didn't think the two actually knew each other, never mind…held hands? She'd never even seen them talking on missions or at the pub. Ino's eyes narrowed into the icy blue glare she was famous for. They sliced into the pair, analytically searching for a clue or hint within kekkei genkai users' expressions. Hinata with her timorous eyes and parted lips looked a doe caught in headlights, while Sasuke merely looked affronted at the inconvenience Ino and Shikamaru's presence presented.
Ino threaded closer to Shikamaru. "What are you doing here?"
Hinata's lips floundered helplessly for a moment, ivory eyes flickered towards Sasuke hoping for him to respond. He stared at the couple with a vacant expression. The overwhelming drone of her heart beating in her ears caused her stomach to lurch forward. She felt a long, hot slow blush crawl up her neck to their cheeks.
She took a step towards Ino and Shikamaru as she, firmly but slowly, detracted herself from Sasuke. There was too much at stake for the truth to come out at this moment. A thin smile curled around her lips.
"I'm buying flowers?"
It sounded like question. Everyone peered at her. Hinata could feel the waves of simmering irritation emitting from the Uchiha behind her. His glare on her back corroded her composure like an acid spill.
Her voice was quiet but even: "Flowers for Neji, it's a Sunday."
Ino's expression softened and she stepped towards the delicate Hyuuga, grabbing her hand she towed the white eyed girl into the shop. Murmuring something about yellow chrysanthemums and ivory lilies in a sombre tone. The kunoichi disappeared into the modest, yet vaguely impressive flower shop leaving Shikamaru alone with the Uchiha.
A suffocating sense of awkwardness settled over the two shinobi. Shikamaru began to toe the ground with his shoe, creating illogical patterns and loops as he gathered his thoughts. The Uchiha looked as he always did, impassive and in control. Except, upon closer inspection the Nara noted Sasuke's jaw was tensed and locked in a manner that suggested he was weighing up options. His eyes; dark cataclysmic spheres stared so intently after the two kunoichi, Shikamaru worried they would flicker red at any moment.
Sasuke looked…confused. It was such a strange emotion to see painted over the prodigy's face. Shikamaru bristled. "So, why are you here?"
"Hinata." He said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Why?"
The Uchiha stiffened, his entire body going rigid. His jaw flexed, hinting barely constrained anger, before his eyes snapped around to confront Shikamaru's inquisitive gaze. Confusion ebbed within the black pools of his eyes for several moments, as though he didn't know the answer himself. The Uchiha hated not being in control. He was a wholly logical person. He liked using reason and sensibility to figure out his problems. But everything about the Hyuuga was irrational, nonsensical and utterly intriguing. He had no idea why Hinata and not some other kunoichi. Sasuke had been trying to figure that out for himself all day.
"Why are you here?" was all Sasuke snapped.
Shikamaru blinked. "Ino."
"Why?" Sasuke returned.
Sasuke's lips opened again but abruptly closed and he returned his focus to the nuisance of a flower shop. He was aware his question made little sense. Shikamaru was at the flower shop with Ino as the pair were together. The Uchiha internally cringed away from that word. Together.
Sasuke didn't need anyone. He never did.
He didn't want to need anyone.
So why was he here with Hinata? Why had he been accidentally stumbling upon her for the last year? Why was he so drawn to her? She was everything he'd been taught to detest: weak body, limited chakra, too polite, useless kekkei genkai, girly, submissive to her clan, too quiet – too loud. He paused.
Except not all of that was true. She was being groomed to take over her clan in the upcoming year and she'd never been useless on any of their Anbu missions. Her Byakugan had the longest range out of her entire clan. And as for her weak body, well he'd found other uses for it…
The rational part of his mind kicked back into full force, slicing through the irrational haze of confusion he felt. But even Hinata's redeemable qualities were still not enough to make this a favorable situation. This was the last thing Sasuke wanted or needed.
Shikamaru bit back a coy smile as he beheld the conflicted Uchiha. Sasuke, appeared to be having an internal war amongst himself concerning a certain pale-eyed kunoichi. Shikamaru was thoroughly enthralled; he'd never seen Sasuke so unnerved before.
"Goodbye Ino," Hinata called softly as she emerged from the shop, her arms overflowing with flowers. She smiled at Shikamaru and walked forward. She didn't stop. Though neither Ino nor Shikamaru caught it, white eyes met black for a moment.
Sasuke's attention flickered to the Nara for a brief moment. Something wholly challenging yet vulnerable flickered across his features before he followed after Hinata.
Ino leaned into Shikamaru, resting her head in the crook of his neck. She exhaled sharply. "What the hell was that?"
"I have no idea," he lied.
Contrary to popular belief, the two dojutsu users, did not exchange a single word to each other on their way to the remembrance garden. They walked with close proximity and upon occasion Sasuke grabbed Hinata's wrist to tug her out of the way of oncoming groups of shinobi returning home from missions and a drunk, swaying civilian man. Hinata seemed a little distracted and preoccupied. Sasuke seemed more than okay to be vigilant enough for both.
They received perplexed looks – it was their first time really being seen together. Sasuke looked at Hinata; she had a small blush tinting her cheeks. His lips twitched upwards. He thought the insecure heiress would have been far more uncomfortable and embarrassed by the attention the pair were receiving. Her gaze remained fixed forward and her full lips were set in a hard, pointedly defiant line.
The remembrance garden was nestled into hills at the most northern point of the village. Tsunade erected the garden with its perpetual thin veil of mist and flagstone steps just after the war. Various monuments and statues with thousands of names carved elegantly into the stone dotted the garden. Drooping willow trees and resplendent cherry blossoms eschewed the sun and cast the garden in a dappled light.
Sasuke stood – albeit awkwardly – behind the Hyuuga. Her fingers curled tightly around her bouquet of flowers for several moments before she laid them carefully against a stone monument, mottled with emerald moss. Her long, silvery fingers traced the loops and lines of her beloved cousin's names before she stepped back.
The silence ebbed and flowed, neither broke it. Sasuke welcomed the quietude. A tempest of questions germinated within his conflicted mind. He did nothing on a whim. He did not follow the Hyuuga here to simply spend time with her. He opened his mouth and took a step forward. He'd grown weary and tiresome of this charade. He didn't care about her dead cousin, and she knew that.
"Hinata-" he started. Her name on his lips sounded profoundly colder than usual. She flinched, and his merciless and unyielding gaze caught it. A weakness, he thought, just one of her many.
"Do you want me to put this flower against Itachi's monument?" Hinata inquired. Her voice a heady breathless whisper. She toyed with the dusty pink orchid clutched in her small pale hands.
He blinked. He looked taken a back for a moment. Where the hell did that come from? Sasuke thought. Most of the time he could read and calculate Hinata's next movements and actions with unprecedented ease. But sometimes she completely confounded him. "What?" he snapped. He exhaled, suddenly struck with anger and indignation.
She was angled towards him, but her gaze was focused on something else entirely. He hated when she did that – gave him only have her attention. Rage swelled deep within him. His patience growing thin with her, he moved forward. Seizing her shoulder he held her tightly, forcing her to acknowledge him. She looked shocked by his bold move. Her eyes wide and frightened.
"Stop being an idiot." Sasuke quipped. She didn't even flinch at the insult. He called her that so many times the name seemed to be an odd term of endearment at this stage. "Stop evading the situation Hinata. This isn't one of your normal problems you can run from."
Hurt flashed across her features as she stared at him. It always shocked her how well he seemed to know her. Her form became rigid and tense in his arms. She attempted to wrench herself from his grip. He did not release her. In fact his hold tightened. Hinata swore she saw a glint of red flicker across his eyes.
"This," she whispered harshly, "is not a problem." Sasuke's gaze flickered to her abdomen for a brief moment. "And get off me. Just because I'm pregnant d-doesn't mean you have some sort of control over me. You don't have to mind me. You don't have to follow me around and pretend to care either. I'm fine."
Sasuke's cheek twitched. She didn't look fine. He could feel small tremors course through her body. Her wide eyes were glazed with a thin layer of unbridled tears. She had stuttered too. Her speech impediment was a rarity lately. Its appearance hinted to the Uchiha that she was most certainly not fine.
But the amethyst haired kunoichi had struck a chord. Her words had affected him, somehow. While he didn't exert any sort of control over her, he knew there was no way he would let her go on an S ranked mission without him, or even let Gaara touch her – even if she consented. He didn't have to mind her as though it was an unwanted chore. He sort of enjoyed it. Though he would never admit to it.
Pretend to care. Those words whirled nauseously through his head. He dropped his hold on her and looked away. Hinata blinked, staring down at her now free hands with an odd emotion. She hadn't expected him to let her go so easily. A strange hollow feeling oozed throughout her body with the absence of his touch.
He watched the sunset. The messy clouds ablaze with the last flickers of sunlight seemed to enthrall him for a moment. He could sense her gnawing apprehension beside him. She was worried – despite herself – that she'd annoyed him.
"Hinata," he finally said after a long, uneasy silence. Her heart fluttered. He spoke her name in the most unusual way; overemphasis of the Hina.
His eyes appeared dark orange in the afterglow of the day. They slid seamlessly from the sky to Hinata. He watched her face move in and out of shadows. Her mouth parted and her empty hands clasped into tiny fists. He almost frowned at her oversized and uncomplimentary choice in clothing. He never liked when she wore dark colours.
"You're pregnant," he started. His voice was low and even. Hinata drank in his features, grasping desperately for a hint of clue what he was feeling. "After the war I decided that I did not want an heir. I wanted the Uchiha name to cease with me."
Hinata's breath hitched. He watched a small influx of fear flood her face. She opened her lips and then closed them. "And now?" Hinata gulped as though she swallowed a mouthful of broken glass.
A pause ensued. It seemed to drag out a little, but Hinata knew that Sasuke liked to contemplate everything before committing himself fully. Sasuke never did anything on a whim, despite what he claimed.
"And now, it would not suit me if something happened to the baby," he admitted.
Hinata's stomach lurched and her face grew hot. The baby.
Sasuke's jaw clenched, as he considered his words. "I think it would be best if you gave up missions and went to a medic, perhaps Sakura and then you could – Hinata?" Sasuke interjected staring at the Hyuuga with a perplexed expression.
His confusion turned to fury as Hinata, clutching her stomach, promptly vomited on his shoe.
