Hinata looked through designs with dry eyes. Wealthy people's homes were ridiculous. Most of the rooms were twice the size of the house her father currently owned. She couldn't imagine what you did with all that space.
"Are you still here?" Itachi wondered, peeking in her doorway. She didn't hear him knock. "Father's gone home."
"I have to have Sasuke's wing ready. I got his office prepared, and his team will be ready, but I wanted to get a design selected tonight and sent out before I went home. I just didn't have the time." Hinata could hear the strain in her voice. It was late.
"Dad seems to have a habit of keeping you busy," Itachi said, looking back out the door frame. "Give me one minute, and I will give you a hand."
Hinata rubbed her face as he disappeared. She wasn't going to pass on the help, but she didn't want to keep him from going home either.
Before she could fully register that it had been a few minutes, Itachi came back in with steaming cups in hand. He set one in front of her, and she gave it a long look. Had he been gone long enough to make coffee? Maybe she was that tired.
She took the cup and graciously sipped on it, thanking him. Itachi responded by sitting across from her, turning her screen to see it with a smile.
It then occurred to her that it was odd he was here this late as well.
The following day she was surprised to see Kisame's massive form pop in his door. "Hey. Itachi said you were tasked with Sasuke's wing and wanted me to drop off this." He held up a card between his fingers.
Hinata sat up, interested. He stepped in and handed it to her.
"It's the furnishing company that Uchiha manor usually uses," Kisame explained. "So you don't have to look it up."
"Oh, thank you." She stood up as she took it.
"And this is from me." Kisame set a bag down on her desk and started pulling out some drinks with packaging she didn't recognize. "This is from my home. I ordered some. I thought you would like to try them."
"Oh, that's very kind of you." Hinata picked up one of the bottles she couldn't read.
"That one's alcohol, save that one for home." Kisame chuckled as she quickly put it down. "Try this one. It's a sweet coffee drink."
Kisame opened it and held it out to her. She took a small sip and pulled it away just as quickly. Kisame started laughing again. "It's fizzy." She squeaked.
"Yeah." He chuckled. "These are alcohol." He pointed. "The rest aren't." He explained as he put them back in the bag.
She took it and put it behind her desk. "Well, thank you very much. I will need to make your lunch sometime after this whole event is over."
"I look forward to it." He gave her a toothy smile.
Hinata hadn't looked up from her laptop the whole meeting. She was running herself ragged, taking notes on one window while answering emails in the other. Everyone needed her, everyone needed a fire put out, everyone was asking for an extension, and on top of that, the caterer that Itachi picked out canceled on them, and the event was tomorrow.
She had contacted every catering business she could, offering a rush rate, but she found no one was available. It was graduation season.
On top of that, the furnishing company Kisame recommended wouldn't return her calls.
"Hinata, I need a reservation made for Uzumaki and me tonight." The director told her as the meeting ended.
"I will get Lee-san on it immediately." She said as she gathered her laptop.
Fugaku frowned at her. "I asked you to do it."
"And I will delegate it. My assistant can handle making a reservation," Hinata said back too quickly.
Fugaku's expression darkened, but he said nothing more.
Hinata sighed. There was only so much she could give to Lee, not because she thought it would anger the director, but some of it Lee simply didn't understand the need to have a more forceful tone. She didn't like the tone she wrote emails in, but it was necessary, and she was not going to have it get back to the director that the sales department was asked nicely when they 'might be able to get the report in. At their earliest convenience.' If the director asked for something directly, it needed to be urgent, or someone might lose their job.
Hinata wondered when that would be her.
So far, she had lasted longer than she had expected. She worked long hours, but she put a lot of money toward Hanabi's college fund with the money she was making. It was a relief to see it going up steadily.
That being said, she was able to talk to her sister less and less, especially this week. She had been leaving the office long after the director just from the sheer amount of things that needed her attention, she made sure that Lee didn't suffer the same fate as she did, and if nothing else, he would be rested for the homecoming event.
Hinata flinched as a knock came on her office door. She looked up, and Itachi peaked his head in. Usually, she would be at least content to see him, but she didn't have the time to entertain him or handle whatever sabotage he wanted to put his father under. She was exhausted and starting to wear thin.
She forced a smile. "Is there something you need, Uchiha-sama?"
Itachi leaned on the door frame. "Kisame told me you were having some trouble with the caterer?"
Hinata sighed, stopping her typing. "Yes, I have found a new one, but they don't do desserts, so I found a pastry shop that was willing to deliver, and I went back to the caterer to make sure they would be willing to serve the desert."
Itachi smiled. "You are becoming quite good at this."
Hinata wasn't so sure that this was her getting good. If anything, she felt like she was lacking, having to do all this at once. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I am quite busy. The furnisher wouldn't call me back, so I had to find another, and they are giving me trouble because they don't like my instructions. So I have to retype them and make them clearer."
Itachi's smile didn't waver. "That's fine. You are allowed to kick me out." He gave her a wave and left, but she noticed he stopped at Lee's desk on the way out.
Hinata sighed. She didn't want any help. It would take more time to explain what she needed than just doing it. She had delegated all that she could to Lee.
She lowered her head back down to her work just as the intercom turned on. "Hinata." The director called.
Hinata closed her eyes for a minute to beat down the frustration. She got up and headed to his office.
"Why was Itachi here?" Fugaku asked her.
Hinata pressed her lips together for just a moment. "Kisame-san relayed one of the problems that arose from the event, but I have already handled it. I informed Itachi-sama, he left."
The director sat back and pressed his hands together. Hinata hadn't told him about the issues she was having. It was her job to handle it, so it didn't become his problem. "Why are you pushing your problems onto Itachi's assistant?"
"I was not sir, Kisame-san asked me for an update on the event, and I relayed an answer. I believe Itachi-sama wanted to stay informed about the event, as he had been the one to plan it." Hinata answered.
"And can you tell me why Itachi is back?" The director raised his eyebrows.
Hinata paused, giving him a confused look. He nodded his head to the window, and she turned to see Itachi was, in fact, back, he leaned on Lee's desk and waved at her once he had noticed her. "I am not sure, sir."
"I don't like this reliance you have built on my son." The director told her pointedly.
Hinata turned back to him and nodded. "I understand, sir." What was she supposed to tell him? She didn't ask for help. He just showed up. She had tried to turn him away, but like other Uchiha men, she knew he was stubborn.
The director's expression got darker. "Do not let me catch you seducing my son to get ahead."
Hinata's face turned red with both embarrassment and rage.
Hinata couldn't believe he would think that, but at the same time, she could understand why he would. "You won't, sir." She answered flatly, trying to hide her emotions in her voice.
"I don't want to hear any more about him taking you on outings, being in your apartment, or leaving the office with you late at night. Do you understand me?" Fugaku growled through his teeth.
"Yes, sir." Hinata balled her hands into fists to keep her hands from shaking.
"Dismissed." Fugaku spat out.
Hinata bowed her head shakily and closed herself into her office. She only had a few moments to compose herself before Itachi came to open her door. She sat at her desk straight as a pin because she was trying to keep herself from shaking.
Itachi smiled at her, but his smile faltered when she couldn't smile back at him. "I brought you a pick me up." He held up an immune booster shot drink and a coffee from the kitchen a floor down. He set them on her desk and eyed her.
"Thank you, but it was not necessary." She said in a professional voice.
Itachi's face faltered with her tone. He glanced down at her phone as if to check if the light was on. Then he glanced at his father's office. She made no indication with her face that he was correct, but he seemed to already know what took place.
She was in trouble, and she didn't want any more.
Itachi glanced toward his father's door again.
Hinata spoke up. "Please do not confront him. It will only make things worse."
Itachi frowned at her and his eyebrows furrowed together. "Don't let him bully you."
"I just want to keep my job." Hinata countered, trying to keep her frustration and distress off her face.
Itachi sighed. "Alright, I am sorry for putting you in this position."
Hinata didn't know what to say to that. She just watched him as she left.