Hinata sifted in her dress. Benefit Gala's meant themes, themes meant designer dresses, designer dresses meant more details in the dress, the details in this dress made it heavy. She was surrounded by layers and layers of tulle. Looking at it, it looked like it would be light and airy, but there were so many layers that it made it feel like she was carrying weights around her waist.
Itachi made her spin, and Hinata giggled. It did make her feel like a big puffy princess.
Itachi fussed with the back of the dress, where the boned bodice tightened. It was the only thing keeping the whole dress up. "Let me know if it's too tight."
Hinata put a hand flat on her stomach. "I think it's fine. The top's comfortable. Not a fan of this, though." Hinata referenced her push-up chest, placing a hand over her pushed-up cleavage.
"Well, that's what this is for." Itachi draped another tulle monstrosity over her shoulders. "You look like a dream."
"I look like a cloud." Hinata corrected.
"Well, designers aren't really known for practicality." Itachi voiced. "Suck it up. You look beautiful."
Hinata waved Itachi off first when Sasuke called, telling them he was around the corner. She glanced in the mirror and adjusted one of the pins in her hair. When Sasuke knocked, she grabbed her bag and opened the door. She must have spooked him opening the door so soon because he stared at her for a moment before adjusting his face to neutral. "You look nice."
Hinata smiled slightly, but she knew he was just being kind. She moved out her door, ensuring to get all the dress out the door before closing it. She took his arm as they moved toward the elevator. "This dress is going to be a chore the whole night." She lamented.
Hinata had to sit in the back seat unless she wanted to fill the whole front seat with fluffy, unruly wisps of fabric.
Sasuke helped her out of the car and waited while she patted the dress back into place. "Turn around." He told her. Hinata did for him, turning her head, trying to see what he was going to fix. She could vaguely feel his hands on the back of the stiff bodice, but she wasn't sure what he was adjusting. After he was done, he settled the tulle around her shoulder in place. "Perfect."
Hinata looked up at him as Sasuke looked away with an unreadable look. Hinata was starting to worry about him. He still seemed in such a solemn mood. She was expecting a few playful insults about the dress, or at least complaining about the problems it had caused already.
Hinata took Sasuke's arm as he escorted her up to the door, where cameras flashed, catching the design of the dress. Hinata was getting used to all this, the pictures, the lights, the smile put on for the press. It was natural that she would eventually have some event nearly every month, sometimes every week, a big wig's birthday, a benefit, a launch. Sometimes the director would be photographed coming in and out of restaurants.
Hinata was careful with her steps. She had to kick and be careful not to step on the dress. She held tighter on Sasuke's arm as she stepped up the stairs. He moved an arm around her waist and took her hand as they carefully got her up the stairs.
"You don't have the best track record with stairs," Sasuke mumbled as they got to the top.
Hinata smiled at him. That was the first comment that sounded like him since they left.
"Oh, they really do know how to dress up a paper to look like a princess, don't they?" Hinata let her face twitch in annoyance only a moment as she looked up at Sasuke's mother, waiting for them at the entrance.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Hinata told her.
Mikoto's face shifted to a smug smile, and she shrugged. "Can't shine a glass to look like a diamond, dear."
"Mother." Sasuke snapped.
Hinata glanced at him, his jaw set. She was surprised he was going to defend her at all, or maybe his mother was just on his nerves. Sasuke tugged Hinata inside by her hand.
Hinata sighed as they got into the crowd. Sasuke took a breath and seemed to lose his temper as quickly as it came.
Before Hinata could say anything to him, she saw a streak of red that made her turn her head. "Gaara?" Hinata asked.
Gaara turned to her, and his usual resting scowl became slightly lighter. "I thought I might see you here."
"I hope you didn't come just to see me." Hinata smiled.
"I actually wanted to talk to you about that offer." Hinata's face changed quickly as she glanced over at Sasuke's face, set into a flat scowl of confusion, looking at her.
"I'll be right back," Hinata told Sasuke, releasing his hand and moving to lead Gaara away from the crowd.
"Does he work with you?" Gaara asked. "I didn't mean to put you in an uncomfortable situation."
Hinata nodded, but that wasn't really an issue. "I wanted to thank you, but I am not really looking for new employment at the moment."
Gaara nodded. "Unfortunate. I would have liked your skills."
Hinata blushed. It was a very strong complaint from what she had heard about him. "I enjoyed working with you."
"We should schedule lunch sometime," Gaara added.
Hinata smiled. "Of course."
Sasuke watched them from across the room. Offer? Was she leaving? Sasuke watched her smile and looked away bashfully. That wasn't the guy she was with, was it?
Itachi handed him a drink. "What's got you all twisted up?" Itachi followed his sour look across the room. "Jealous?"
"You should be concerned. She is talking about a job offer." Sasuke told him.
Itachi looked over at her in question. Hinata was smiling, her face was red, and she looked away bashfully. Itachi did look worried by the idea.
"Maybe that's the guy she had over at her apartment when she said she was 'sick'," Sasuke grumbled. He caught himself. He couldn't keep thinking about it. It could have been innocent, right?
Itachi snapped around to look at him.
"She said she was too sick for me to come in, but there were guys' shoes at the door. She lied." Sasuke informed him. Sasuke sipped the drink. He should measure his alcohol. He didn't want to make decisions he shouldn't.
Itachi nodded slowly, pressing his lips together. "She's allowed."
Sasuke's eyebrows twitched together. Why was he okay with this? "You knew."
"What?" Itachi asked.
"You knew about it," Sasuke realized.
"I had no idea she had an offer." Itachi defended.
"You knew about the guy she was hiding, though." Sasuke accused.
Itachi looked conflicted. "Look, I am not speculating about if and who she has over at her place. Are you that jealous?"
Sasuke set his jaw. He wasn't answering that. He wasn't going to admit it, even if he couldn't deny it.
"I'm sure it was innocent. Look at her. If she had a guy around, don't you think she would introduce us?" Itachi's face cringed as Hinata and the man she was talking to walked over. Partway, she placed a hand on his elbow.
"Itachi-sama, Sasuke-sama, this is the director of Suna, Gaara no Sabaku." Hinata introduced. Gaara bowed his head slightly.
Sasuke gave his brother a look.
"The guy who won't let you use honorifics," Sasuke commented.
Itachi looked surprised, and Hinata smiled.
"It's unnecessary," Gaara said flatly, like he hadn't understood the jab.
Sasuke felt the scowl start on his face. Hinata reacted by switching herself from Gaara's side to his. "We should find the director. You have my contacts." Hinata told Gaara with a smile before she tugged Sasuke away.
Itachi followed close, lowering his head down to her ear. "He's going to call you later?" Itachi looked right past her at Sasuke, and Sasuke glared back.
"Hmm? Oh, he wanted to have lunch sometime." Hinata answered quickly.
Sasuke let her drag him over to his father. "You look wonderful," Fugaku said with a smile.
"Watch." Itachi took her hand and gave her a spin.
Hinata giggled, stumbling at the end of the spin. Sasuke caught her waist and kept her upright. Hinata placed her hand over his reflexively. "It's not really a dancing dress."
Fugaku smiled. "Saw you with the Suna brat. How is he doing?"
Hinata removed her hands, but noticed Sasuke left his hand on her waist. "Oh, he wants to meet up sometime."
"Something wrong with the contract?" Fugaku asked.
"No, I think he wants just to talk about business," Hinata explained.
Hinata noticed Sasuke's face flattened back into the sad, neutral look he had when they started the night. She knit her eyebrow together. "Are you feeling okay?" She asked him.
"Yeah," Sasuke grumbled.
"Why don't you take him for some air." Itachi pointed toward an open archway that looked like it went to a balcony.
"I'm fine." Sasuke tipped back his drink.
"Well, I think I could use some air," Hinata commented, crossing her hand over her waist to rest it on his. "I'll grab a drink and meet you over there?"
Sasuke didn't look happy, but he agreed.
Sasuke stared out at the cool air of the night and tried to calm down. His stress and frustration making Hinata worry was not really the attention he was looking for from her.
Hinata appeared through the arch with drinks, one to replace his and her own. "If you're not feeling well, I am sure no one would be offended if you went home."
"I'm fine," Sasuke told her, exasperated, taking the drink she offered. The action only made her frown at him.
"I won't pry, but you're not acting like yourself." Hinata hummed, sitting down. She looked relieved as she adjusted the fluff.
Sasuke leaned on the banister next to her seat. "Not sure how you would know." He scrunched his nose. That was mean. He shouldn't be going for mean.
"That sounded like you," Hinata commented.
Sasuke glanced at her. He didn't want to be what she thought of him, that he was just mean.
"There is a room full of ridiculous dresses and suits in there, your suit a fuchsia lining and flower embroidery, and you haven't made one comment." Hinata waved her hand toward the arch. "Usually, by this point, I am trying to get you to stop, so someone won't overhear you."
Sasuke glanced down at his suit. It did look stupid. The rest, he hadn't really been paying attention. "What, you want me to bitch?"
"Your crass comments are how you deal with these events. It keeps you entertained." Hinata was right, but he was actively trying not to seem like a complete jackass. "If there is something wrong, and you're comfortable telling me, let me help you fix it. That is my job."
Sasuke let his face twitch. "There you go again."
Hinata smiled at him.
Sasuke's face fell into annoyance. She tricked him. "You do look like a net monster."
Hinata smiled and lifted some layers. "It's extremely heavy."
"You look beautiful," Sasuke told her.
Hinata stared back at him for a moment, but then she smiled and looked back down at the mass of skirts. "Then it's worth it, I guess." She didn't take that as seriously as he meant it.
Sasuke tipped back his glass, realizing it was gone. He set it down next to his other empty glass. Had he not learned his lesson, he couldn't drink so much.
Hinata sipped her drink, looking over the open air, shivering slightly as the wind moved through the thin fabric that floated around her shoulders. "I'll be right back," Sasuke told her.