Hinata heard heels instead of his dress shoes. Hinata looked up to see Sakura. She was in a long silk dress that was draped over her form expertly. "May I?" Sakura waved her hadn't to the open spot beside her.
Hinata gave Sakura her attention, curious as to why Sakura had sought her out. "I wanted to ask you about Sasuke." Hinata pressed her lips together but nodded. She could answer something innocent, right? "What is your impression of him?"
"Uh." How did she answer that? "He's driven, stubborn, passionate…"
"No, I mean, do you think he would make a good husband?" Sakura explained.
Hinata pressed her lips together. "I'm not sure if I am the person you should ask."
"I always see you by his side. I think you would be the most likely to know." Sakura waved her hand at the event.
"I'm not sure. I think Sasuke-sama would have to set his mind to wanting a relationship before I think he would be a good husband. I think forcing him is just going to turn him off and make him do the opposite out of spite," Hinata explained. "It's just how he is."
Sakura smiled, nodding. "Thank you for your honesty."
"Do you want to go through with the engagement?" Hinata wondered.
"I'm looking at my options. With my goals and responsibilities, I know I don't have much time for a traditional romance. I want kids before I'm 30, so matchmaking seems like a reasonable step." Sakura explained. "Sasuke's my age, unmarried, good family. The marriage would be beneficial to both our families."
"Even if the other person isn't interested?" Hinata wondered.
"Not everyone likes matchmaking at first, doesn't mean the match is wrong," Sakura explained. "Sometimes it's magical, and the princess ends up with the prince, and they live happily ever after."
Something about the wording of that hit Hinata in the stomach.
"If he's a logical man, I think he will see it as an easy step to complete the next step of his life." Sakura shrugged.
Hinata wondered if anything Sasuke did was logical. "Maybe?"
Sakura hopped up. "Well, thank you, I love the dress."
Hinata looked down. "Thank you, you look wonderful."
Sakura did a small pose showing off the dress with a smile before leaving.
Sasuke appeared nearly a second after with a cup that had steam coming out of it and a small scowl. He must have been hiding. "It took me a while to find something warm."
Hinata sipped it, apple cider. "It's good. Thank you."
"Strategizing with the enemy?" Sasuke asked, looking back at the arch.
Hinata shook her head. "She is nice."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm sure it's an act."
"Why do Uchiha men think the world is out to get them?" Hinata wondered.
"Because it is," Sasuke told her, sitting down beside her. "When you're at the top, there are people who hate you and people who want to be you. You don't get much genuine." Hinata's eyes saddened. "You can only trust that the people who have nothing to gain from you are the only people who have pure intentions. That's why I only have one dumb-ass friend. Even my mother wants something out of me."
"Lonely at the top." Hinata looked up at the sky. "I haven't seen my friends in a while." Hinata shivered again before bringing the hot beverage up to her lips.
"From out of the city?" Sasuke wondered.
Hinata nodded, looking down and smiling. "Last week, I saw one of them post a picture. I was in a picture in the newspaper next to the director." Hinata's smile faded. "Of course, that means my father probably saw it too."
Sasuke felt conflicted. "Have you gone back since that day?"
Hinata shook her head. "I haven't really had the time. Whenever I have a day or even an hour of my life if full of the world here." Hinata perked up. "But my sister visits, and that makes it complete."
Sasuke watched her eyes glittered with optimism and felt overwhelmed with it.
Sasuke leaned forward.
Hinata flinched back, staring at him with eyes wide.
Sasuke huffed out a breath as he realized what he was about to do. He moved back and looked away. "You have, uh, something in your eyelashes." He lied.
Hinata blinked at him. "Oh?" Her hands went to her face.
"Here." Sasuke reached up to her face. Hinata moved her face closer, closing her eyes slightly. Sasuke's heart raced as she brushed her eyelash, brushing away nothing, but at least she had believed him.
Hinata smiled at Sasuke as he rolled his eyes at his best friend. At least he was acting more like himself now.
A hand wrapped around her wrist, almost painful. Itachi stared at her directly, his eyes flicked away, and she looked around. She gave him a look of concern, and he covered his mouth, suppressing a cough.
Hinata suddenly understood. She tipped her drink onto him and exclaimed. "Oh! I am so sorry! Let's go clean that up."
Before making it to the bathrooms, Hinata took a harsh turn to something more private. They had been in the venue before. She knew there was a staff bathroom in the back that no one tended to use because it was unmarked. Once she pushed him in, he started vomiting into the sink, not even making it to the toilet. Hinata rubbed his back, tucking his hair behind his ears as he wretched.
The gagging looked painful. Hinata grabbed some paper towels, wet them, and pressed them to the side of Itachi's face as he closed his eyes and shivered.
"Are you going to be okay? Do you need to leave?" Hinata whispered.
"I think I will be okay. A side effect of new medications." Itachi told her.
"You know I am getting better at telling when you are lying to me," Itachi turned the water on to clean his sick down the drain.
Itachi stood up straight and took a deep breath. "You think I am lying?"
Hinata loosened his tie and unbutton his top button. "I know you are. You have been going to the maintenance room to throw up since at least last week." Hinata gave him a disappointed look. "Did you think Kisame-san got the idea to get you ginger tea with every meal on his own?"
Itachi frowned at her.
"I know you don't want people to know, but you need to let at least one person worry about you." Hinata pressed.
Itachi leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. "Keeping food down has been hard since the last treatment."
"Is that normal?" Hinata asked.
"Yes," Itachi explained. "But it's usually temporary."
"Has this time been longer than usual?" Hinata asked with worry in her voice.
"Every time. It gets longer every time." Itachi explained gravely.
Hinata tossed the towels in the trash and got a few more to dab the wet mark on his shirt.
"Good distraction, by the way." Itachi gave her a smile that worried her.
Hinata gave him a look. "I need to stop ending up in bathrooms dabbing stains out at events like this."
Itachi took the towels out of her hand, untucking his shirt to get the dampness from the other side. "At least now I will smell like I have been drinking if anyone finds out I got sick."
"You haven't been drinking?" Hinata wondered.
"I wish I could," Itachi grumbled. "Apparently, my medication shouldn't be taken with alcohol, or so I am told."
Hinata gapped at him angrily. "You were drinking on medication."
Itachi gave her a smile she didn't understand because she knew she was giving him a nasty look. "Why do you think I get drunk so quickly?"
"You…!" Hinata huffed. "I never want to see you with so much as champagne in your hand ever again!" She snapped at him.
"Okay, okay." Itachi chuckled.
"Why do you think this is funny!" Hinata barked.
"Because you're cute when you're angry." Itachi shrank back jokingly.
"Well then, I am going to only get cuter." Hinata snapped at him.
Itachi laughed, then flinched as Hinata reached past him to snag up more paper towels aggressively and help him clean his shirt.