Sasuke rushed home after a text from Hinata telling him that he needed to come home early. He was worried. She didn't answer a return text asking why but he was sure she would have said if she was in labor. He came into the smell of… ramen, which was concerning. They had planned to order from a new sandwich shop from around the corner that had smoothies she was excited for.
Sasuke put his coat up and peaked into the kitchen. Her chair was in the corner. She was on her feet, with her hair down, cooking. She looked up at him desperately. "What are you doing? You hate ramen."
"Sasuke!" The voice made both flinch as Naruto hopped up out of the chair at the dining room he was too preoccupied to notice.
Sasuke looked at her then back, and he refrained from his first instinct, which was to punch him. "Why are you here?"
"I'm back in town for a few days." Naruto gave his shoulder a heavy friendly pat. "What do you mean Hinata hates ramen? It's her best dish." Naruto grinned, leaning past her to smell the pot. Hinata looked pale and but she just looked down at the pot and did her best to keep a small distance from him.
Hinata glanced back up at him. "He came to see you." The subtext of 'he didn't come for me' was heavy.
It only took one look at her deflated form to enrage him. Sasuke took the spoon out of her hand and set it down on the counter with a heavy snap, and turned off the burn. "Alright, Hinata, you stop. You need to sit down. Naruto, get out of my apartment." Sasuke pointed to the door.
"What?" Naruto asked curiously. "I just got here. Hinata's cooking."
"Yeah, and she shouldn't because her ankles are swollen. She is sweating with her hair down. She was throwing up all last night, so she took the day off. She was supposed to be resting today." He growled. Hinata looked ashamed, but he could deal with that later. "And on top of all that, YOU are still in my apartment."
"Dude, what is your issue?" Naruto asked.
"You, you are the issue. You can't just walk back in like this. We aren't friends anymore. You can't just show up at my home." Sasuke demanded.
"We are friends," Naruto shouted back.
"Not anymore. I am done. No more. No more, cleaning up after you, bailing you out of shit, being dragged to everything you find fun." Sasuke growled, trying to make this less and less about Hinata. "Get out!" Naruto raised his hand to point at Hinata. He was sure to spout something about he wanted to see her, but he wasn't putting her through that. He grabbed his shoulders and forced him toward the door. "I mean it, I'll call the police if you don't get off my property." He demanded, shoving him out the door and slamming it.
Sasuke turned around with a deep breath to take a look at Hinata, who had slowly shrunk to the floor. He took another breath and sat down in front of her and moved her curtain of hair to see her face. She was crying, of course, looking sickly, and stressed.
"You could have called," Sasuke mumbled without much else to say.
"He knocked, and when I answered, and… and he just let himself in. I texted you, but he was looking and insisted it be a surprise, so I just said to come early." She held a hand of the round of her belly. Her voice was weak and strained.
"It's okay." He tried.
"NO, IT'S NOT!" Hinata slammed her hand down on the floor. He flinched. He realized what he thought was depression was actually tired furry.
Hinata pointed a hand at the closed door. "He came in and didn't ask a word about me or the baby. He sat down and went on and on about all his adventures and had the audacity to mention there was someone he thought our 'son' should meet one day. I didn't even correct him! I just sat there and said nothing while he talked to me, then he said he was hungry, and it was nearly dinner, and he missed my ramen. And… and..." She whimpered. "I did what he asked. I should have slammed the door in his face, but I just couldn't!" Ripped her apron off and threw it idly at the cabinets and her shoulder sank as she dissolved back into tears.
Sasuke frowned. She felt powerless. Like she shouldn't fight. It was hard to see when he had gotten used to seeing a much happier version of her.
Sasuke reached out to her, she flinched. He set hands firmly on her shoulders, holding them gently but firmly. "If he comes again, close the door. If he forces his way in, excuse yourself, lock yourself in the bathroom and call me."
Hinata blinked at him.
"I don't expect you to start a conflict. You shouldn't. You're pregnant." He excused. "You are allowed to feel weak, and you're allowed to ask for help." He assured her. "Needing help doesn't make you less."
Her face scrunched, and she hung her head as she dissolved into more tears.
Sasuke let her cry herself out, but they didn't move from the floor. In fact, he sat on the floor in his business suit, opened the fridge, and offered her a drink. She watched him as he held it out, and she cracked a smile at the ridiculousness. She looked tired. She looked sick.
He might kill Naruto.
She took a drink and sipped it, resting against the cabinet. "What do I do?"
"Hmm?" He asked.
"I went all this time preparing for the baby on my own… and he pops back up." She whimpered. "Talking about who he wants his son to meet. Why should he get that choice? What is he going to do? Disappear for months only to come back and demand a day with her, then dump her back to go another adventure?"
He sighed, ruffling his hair. "I think you should probably file custody papers."
Hinata made a noise that sounded like a sad squeak. She looked at him ludicrously.
"I know you don't want to think about it, but if you want to protect her from him, it might be the right thing to do. I'm not saying that you have to make the decision to keep him away from her, but you should put yourself in control so if he does decide one day he wants to be in her life and then turns around on her, you can make sure that it doesn't become a regular thing." He explained.
"I would have to face him in court," Hinata whispered out. "I would have to sit there and explain why I think he is unfit to care for his own daughter."
Sasuke nodded. "But you'll be doing it for her."
She looked at him, making a face. He knew that she would do it if it was in the best interest of the baby.
She grew. "I'm going to need a lawyer."
"I get you one." He assured her. "Don't worry about it too much." He got up and held a hand out to her. "This floor is uncomfortable, and I need to change."
Hinata looked at him for a moment and then a half-finished meal and whimpered. "Can we order take out?"
He chuckled. "Yeah."
