Hinata stood at his door early in the morning with a look on her face that told him it was serious. "Let me get my coat off," Fugaku told her.

Hinata folded her arms behind her. He waved his hand at the empty chair across from his desk.

"Should I be concerned?" Fugaku asked with a raised brow, sitting down.

Hinata reached forward, placing the velvet box in front of him. "I can't do it."

Fugaku sighed. "Hinata…"

Hinata cut him off. "I don't care what you have to tell Mikoto-sama. Tell her it was a sick joke. I can't do it." Hinata was holding back, but she had just interrupted him. She had never dared to try before. Her breathing became quicker, and her eyes became rimmed with red, ready for an emotional overflow. "I refuse." Hinata bowed her head.

Fugaku took the box, absent-mindedly tapping it with his fingers. "What do you propose we do about Mikoto, then? You lose all protection the ring gave you by giving it back."

Hinata looked down. "I really don't understand how it helped in the first place."

"It gives you the protection of the Uchiha council," Fugaku explained. "Once engaged to an Uchiha, you are considered part of the clan, any torment against you can get her hot water with the clan."

Hinata's eyes shift to the side thoughtfully before flicking back with conviction. "I don't want protection if it hurts everyone else in the process." Hinata's face became flush as her eyes flicked away once more. "I had to pick up Sasuke-sama from a bar last night."

Now that was interesting. "He was drunk?"

Hinata nodded, bringing a hand up to rub her temple. "Extremely. He's still on my couch because I couldn't get him to go home. He practically begged me not to marry his brother. He would go to bed until I assured him I wouldn't. I can't lie to him about this. I can't lie to everyone all the time, even if it benefited Itachi-sama in the long run."

Fugaku took a moment to think about it. Puzzle pieces fell into place. This… could work. "Get his ass in here."

Hinata was startled. "He might not even be sober yet."

"Now," Fugaku ordered calmly.

Hinata sucked in a breath, getting up to make a call in the other room, but paused at the door. "Please, don't be too hard on him. He thinks everyone has been hiding a relationship for months."

Sasuke rubbed his face, glaring at the office lights that were hurting his eyes.

The elevator ding was too loud, the sun was too bright, and his coat still smelled like a bar. He stepped off the elevator. Hinata was waiting nearby with a cup of coffee and a soft voice. "Did you find the medication I left out?"

"Yeah." He swallowed a gulp of coffee. Ow, hot. "I'm sorry about last night."

Hinata's face cringed inward. "I'm sorry about today."

"Why? Am I in trouble?" Sasuke looked into his father's office, where his father was looking impatient.

"I hope not," Hinata said, with as much hope as she could muster. Her nose twitched. "You still smell like…"

"Yeah. I took a shower. It's the coat." Sasuke shrugged it off, tossing it over a chair.

"Just… good luck," Hinata whispered.

Sasuke looked at her. His chest itched with unbearable ache. He still wanted to be around her, even if he wasn't the one with her. Did that make him pathetic? "Don't worry about it. I'll get over it."

Hinata opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but she looked past him into the director's office. "He should probably explain."

Sasuke looked back to his father, who waved his hand for him to come in. He was done waiting for him. Sasuke plopped himself down into a chair across from his father and waited for a scolding.

Fugaku said nothing at first, just sat back in his chair, rolling a familiar velvet box between his hands. Was he rubbing it in? His father opened the box and slid it across the table. The Uchiha family ring sat inside. Sasuke's heart stopped. Did he… break them up? Sasuke flicked his head around, but Hinata was gone.

"She's not leaving, is she?" Sasuke asked.

Fugaku raised his eyebrow. "Not a word about your brother?"

He was still mad at his brother. "Did she quit?"

Fugaku sighed outwardly. "No, but I think she thought I was going to fire her."

Sasuke felt a wave of relief.

"Now. See, I wasn't expecting that." Fugaku wagged a finger at him. "Hinata is under the impression that you don't like her." Sasuke didn't like him speculating. "When you threw your temper tantrum the other day, I thought you were upset because your brother marrying her meant she stuck around forever, but now I feel like you were upset that she was marrying him."

Sasuke hated when his father thought he was clever. Even when he was.

Fugaku smiled triumphantly. "If I had known, I would have set this up better. Now I have an opportunity for you."

"I am hungover. Stop dancing around the bush." Sasuke clenched his eyes closed. His migraine was getting worse.

"The engagement was a stunt to stop your mother's harassment." What? Fugaku tapped his fingers on the ring box. "Hinata just gave me the ring back because of your reaction. I never told your mother which son she was engaged to because I want to twist the knife, but it gives you an opportunity."

This whole shit show was to get back at his mother?

Fugaku slid the ring forward. "Convince her to continue the engagement with you, and you have my permission to court my assistant in the meantime."

Sasuke's mouth hung open. The audacity. "Who says I need your permission?"

"Hinata." Fugaku grinned.

Sasuke's face fell. He was right. Hinata would want his permission before she thought she was allowed to be involved with one of his sons, which is something he hadn't thought about when he was mad about the engagement, but probably for the best, he hadn't because he was mad enough with the idea that his father gave Itachi the Uchiha family ring before he was even informed there was a relationship.

Sasuke's eyes feel to the ring.

"I still want her to have the protection of the clan. Your mother has been pushing her boundaries too far. Your mother gave her those bruises." Fugaku waved his hand as he saw the flash in Sasuke's eyes. "This is dealing with it." Fugaku pushed the ring a little further forward. "And in the end, you might actually convince her to marry you."

Sasuke puffed out. He had not thought that far ahead, and he was still hung over.

"You only have until this evening to think about it. Radio silence with your mother doesn't work well. She demanded that we have a family dinner tonight, under threat of showing up in the office because no one had been answering her calls. You have until then."

Sasuke groaned. "How am I supposed to…?"

"Don't care, figure it out." Fugaku snapped the box closed and then tossed it to him. "Sneak her out of the office if you must." His father shooed him with a wave of his hands.

Sasuke got up, looking at the box.

"I didn't tell her," Fugaku added. "She's a little… angry with me at the moment."

Great.

Hinata looked up as Sasuke was leaving his father's office. He looked stressed. He shoved his hands in his pockets and opened her door. "You know how you said when I got sick. You would stay home with me?"

Hinata opened her mouth and looked around for a clock. "I have to be across town with the director in half an hour."

His father appeared, putting his coat on. "I'm taking Lee with me. Don't wait up." Fugaku snapped his fingers, and Lee jumped up gleefully. "Dinner is on your calendar, don't be late." He called back as they loaded in the elevator.

Hinata bowed her head to the director before looking back up at Sasuke with confusion. "Let me just tell the front desk…."

Sasuke nodded, grabbing his jacket.