Itachi looked at the time. He was expecting his father late today. He was supposed to have a meeting out of town, but it was nearly 1 in the morning. He would have just gone to bed but heard there was an irate man in the lobby claiming to be Hinata's father that assaulted her. He hoped that they hadn't spent the day in the hospital, neither was answering their phones.
As if to answer him, he could hear someone struggle to open the lock on the door. He rounded the corner from the kitchen just as it opened to reveal his father slumped over the smaller frame of Hinata. He quickly put himself under his other arm.
"He's a tad drunk," Hinata told him. Her face was red, as well.
"You two went drinking?" Itachi asked.
Hinata looked embarrassed as they worked their way in to set him on the living room couch.
"Why didn't the driver help you in." He asked, putting his father's arms in a more comfortable position.
Hinata sighed, stretching with the weight now on her. "I called a cab. I didn't want to bother the driver at this hour."
"You took a cab?" Itachi chuckled. This was getting more and more ludicrous.
His father leaned his head back and looked at her. "You're a good kid, brat."
Hinata giggled. "You're drunk. Tell me in the morning, if you remember."
"Hyuga shithead." His father groaned, flopping down to lay on the couch.
Two seconds he was snoring. How heavily did he drink? Hinata sighed, pulling a blanket from the back of the couch. "You should go to bed. We have to work in the morning." Hinata stumbled back to sit down nearby. "We are meant to have a meeting first thing in the morning." She groaned, rubbing her face. Her makeup was mostly gone. There was a slight smug to her eyes where the mascara was rubbed off. The side of her face was turning slightly blue along her cheekbone and jaw, where the hit would have taken the brunt of it. "I wonder if I can move it on such short notice, he's going to be hungover in the morning."
"Are you okay?" He asked.
She nodded. "I didn't drink that much."
"I meant your face." Itachi clarified he kneeled, having her turn her head. She smelled like wine and sugar.
Hinata let him turn her head. "It's fine. I'll be able to cover it up tomorrow."
That wasn't what he meant.
Itachi got up and got her some water. She probably needed it. "Should I ask what started the drinking?" He asked as he handed her the glass.
She drank the glass in one go. Maybe she had been drinking harder than she thought.
"We had a bad day," Hinata mumbled, waving a hand at the side of her face. She handed the glass back.
He was hoping for more than that. Especially after yesterday.
"I should go home." Hinata sighed. "I have to cancel meetings and tell Lee to keep his voice down tomorrow." Hinata took out her phone. "And my phone is dead." She huffed, dropping it on the table. She doubled over, holding her head. "I hope my father didn't cause Hanabi-chan trouble when he got home." She whimpered.
"You could stay here for the night. We have guest rooms." He suggested. "And I have some spare cords."
"No, I shouldn't." She waved her hands. "Can you call me a cab, though?"
"How about I just take you home." He suggested.
"It's late." She waved her hands.
"Which is why I would feel better if I drove you home." He pressed.
She whined childishly and dragged herself up. She was a rather cute drunk.
Itachi managed to get her in his car. She leaned on the window on the way. "Just asking me to stop if you're feeling sick."
"I'm not that drunk. I drank a few glasses of wine over a few hours." She hummed. "I'm just a lightweight." She sighed. "And tired."
"How much did he drink?" Itachi asked.
"I lost track. We shared a few bottles of wine. Then he switched to sake. I only had one shot of that." Hinata leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "We ate so many pastries."
"Pastries?" He chuckled.
"We spent our entire time eating desserts. I love sugar." She hummed, her face scrunched. "That's not good for his blood pressure."
"You know I would have thought you would be more wild drunk." He admitted.
She giggled. "I am the death of the party."
Itachi walked her to her door and made sure she got inside.
He wondered what had changed that they were getting along.
Fugaku groaned. He covered his splitting head to hide from the light streaming in.
He tossed his cover off his head, squinted, looking for his phone or some sort of clock. He found his phone plugged in nearby. It was nearly noon. He rubbed his face. When was the last time he had slept past 8, even on the weekend? He opened his schedule. What had he missed?
It was empty, all but one large block that said 'out sick.'
Hinata had moved all the meetings.
His eyes focused on a glass of water and a medication bottle on the coffee table with a note. 'Fun night?'
Little shit.
He took the pills for his head and put in the number one speed dial on his phone.
"Sir?" Hinata answered on the other side.
"Are you in the office?" He asked.
"Yes, sir. You had a monthly meeting in production I couldn't cancel. I took notes." She explained. He could hear rustling papers and her covering the phone. "Take this to sales, please." He heard her say to someone else quietly, probably her assistant. "How are you feeling? Do you need food delivery?"
"Have something ready when I get there. I'm coming in. I'll be there in an hour." He huffed, getting off the couch. He needed a shower.
"Are you sure?" She asked. He could hear her door close. "You drank quite a lot last night."
"I'm coming in." Fugaku hung up on her and headed for the shower.
Hinata sighed. The director was going to be stubborn then. She didn't know why she thought any differently.
She stretched and reached for her water. She was trying to fight off the dehydration headache. She had canceled the morning meetings but forgot to cancel her ride, so she was woken up by a confused driver at 6 in the morning. She felt bad, making him wait for her to get ready.
It was good she decided to come in because the production department couldn't cancel the meeting, and she knew that the director liked to know where they were even if he didn't say anything during those meetings.
Itachi told her that he was still on the couch in the morning when he left. She wished that they had gotten him to bed, but it was hard enough to get out of the restaurant bar. She wasn't going to fight him to go to bed.
They had talked for hours, about her mother, her father, and his ex-wife, about his regrets with his kids. Once he had enough to drink, he was an open fountain. She would have to remember that. She wouldn't want him drinking too much at events. Maybe she should write that in the guide.
Hinata didn't call her sister last night. She had to order her breakfast and would be ordering her lunch and dinner as she had no food prepared like she normally would.
Hinata wasn't sure what she was going to do about her father. She had never seen him so mad. She was used to the disappointment and the annoyance, never straight anger.
Would she see Hanabi for her birthday?
"Are you doing okay in here?" She jumped, and she hadn't even noticed the door open. Itachi smiled at her.
"Sorry." Hinata sighed. "Yes, just a little tired."
"You want to join me for lunch?" Itachi asked.
"I'm ordering in. The director is on his way." Hinata looked at the clock. She should order now to make sure it was here on time.
"Mind if I join you then?" He asked.
"I don't mind. What do you like?" She asked to take out her phone.
The traffic was awful. Fugauku's head still hurt. He wasn't able to get a coffee because of the aforementioned traffic. He was regretting his decision to come in. He reconsidered when he saw his son sitting in his assistant's office.
Hinata stood up to greet him. Itachi looked behind himself and smiled with a shit-eating grin.
Brat.
Hinata greeted him as she opened the door in a low voice. "I ordered food. Itachi-sama wanted to join."
"Coffee," Fugaku grumbled.
"I ordered that as well, but you should drink water. There is a bottle on your desk for you." She waved her hand at his office.
He nodded and glared at his son as he passed by.
She excused herself to get lunch from the first floor.
Itachi sat across from his desk with a shit-eating grin. "Late night?"
"Don't start." He growled.
Itachi chuckled.
"I want Hiashi Hyuga banned from the premises." He added.
"Hinata did that this morning. Security came to see her when I came by to check on her." Fugaku wasn't sure he was surprised she banned her own father, but he wasn't surprised that she did something he wanted without his asking. She was getting good at predicting him. Or maybe he told her to do it last night. "Can't wait for Sasuke to hear you got drunk on a work night."
He groaned. These brats were going to kill him.
Hinata knocked, bringing in food. She set their meals and his coffee in front of him. "I had them put sugar on the side." She dropped some sugar packets on his desk. "I wasn't sure you would want more sweets."
"God, no." Fugaku groaned.
She smiled and nodded before taking the rest of the bag and heading for her office.
"Are you not joining us?" Itachi asked.
She froze and looked back, unsure.
Fugaku nodded his head to a chair.
She smiled and bowed her head and patterned over to sit down.
"Status."
Hinata gave him a shortlist of meetings she canceled and an overview of what she gathered from the meeting she went through.
Hinata gave him an overview of the next few days. "And then Saturday will be your son's coming home party."
"Don't let me drink more than a few champagnes at that." Hinata nodded with a faint smile.
"Of course not, sir." She held back her smile the best she could.
"And no more than a glass of wine for you." He added.
"I don't think I will be drinking, sir." Hinata let out a small laugh.
"How is your cheek." She stared at him for a moment.
Hinata raised her hand to touch it gently. "It's a little sore, but it's dark enough to have to cover up with makeup."
"You talked to security?" She nodded. "Did you hear from your sister?"
Hinata shook her head, looking down. "I haven't gotten the chance. She'll be on the train home after school. I was hoping to call her then."
He nodded. "Don't give in to that bastard. He only thinks of himself."
Hinata looked torn. She had mentioned last night that her father had been particularly hard on her, cold and stern. She had herself nearly in tears thinking that she was disappointing him again.
Again, that's what hurt. Hinata seemed to think she was worth nothing because that bastard didn't let her think more of herself.
He had been no better. He had to make up for that.