I'm rushing to post this so my deepest apologies for any typos. Thanks for your support!

oOo

Day 19 Prompts:

Saudade(Portuguese)

"A nostalgic longing."

Sehnsucht(German)

"Painful desire for that which can and will never be."

"A pained desire for the unattainable."

"What does he mean, mission?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata only smiled and clasped her hands together in front of her. "I've been cleared for duty. Kiba, Shino, and I are going on a mission."

Sasuke could tell he made a face because she grinned before continuing.

"We're running a couple of non-classified scrolls to the daimyo. It's barely a C-class."

He gritted his teeth and did his best not to sound like an overprotective asshole. "Do you feel you're up to it? Jumping doesn't cause you pain?"

She shook her head, causing a couple of wisps of hair on either side of her face to escape her updo and cover her white silk headband. "No pain for at least four weeks. Just as the physical therapist prescribed. It's been longer than that since we last spoke."

Sasuke paused at the rueful expression on her face. A blush blossomed on her cheeks as he watched. His voice lowered unintentionally, and he took a step into her space. She did not move away, only leaned closer.

"Have you been keeping track?" he asked lowly.

She opened her mouth to respond, her pink glossed lips parting. He watched them closely. She sucked in a breath, and he caught his.

Heavy panting jerked them both out of their reverie. At their feet sat Akamaru, avidly watching the both of them.

Laughing, Hinata buried her hands in the ruff of fur around his neck. Sasuke realized everyone already left.

Hinata put a hand on his neck. Akamaru opened an eye to look balefully at Sasuke. She patted Akamaru's fur.

"He's waiting. He'll take us to the others."

Sasuke wanted to protest. He did not want to touch that stinky dog with his actual hands. But Hinata waited and Akamaru started drooping as if offended.

Well, at least it was a dog and not a beetle. With a long sigh, he gingerly put his hand on Akamaru's scruff next to Hinata's.

Surprising the hell out of him, Hinata moved her hands and linked their pinky fingers together, while still keeping a gentle grip on Akamaru's fur. Their hands were hidden but it felt obvious and shocking.

The dog moved forward. Sasuke stumbled after them. He felt so glad that it was nighttime, and it hid his red ears. Neither of them looked at each other for a moment.

Yet, Hinata did brave a conversation. "Sorry about Neji," she whispered. "He's very protective."

Sasuke cleared his suddenly dry throat. "Do you feel like you need to be protected?"

Her voice came out quiet and feather soft. "From you? Never."

His heart punched in the inside of his ribs so hard he wanted to cough. Again, he cleared his throat.

Far from being inexperienced with flirting and dating, this still caught him off guard. Mostly because of Hinata. Never in a million years would he be caught dead holding pinkies with a woman when left alone with her. They were grown adults, not ten-year-olds.

But Hinata made everything so gentle. She wore sincerity like a second skin. Also, the Hyuga part of her made every tiny gesture hold outsized meaning. When they ever got to the kissing stage, and he hoped that came soon, he would know she loved him. Only because her Hyuga dignity combined with her shyness would never let anyone else get so close.

No wonder Neji hated Sasuke. Hinata was serious and Sasuke never had anything serious before.

He let out a long, slow breath. He needed to be careful about this. If not, he could really hurt Hinata, and himself as well.

Feeling brave but also a little reckless, he adjusted his hand so he could put it on top of hers and fully link their fingers together.

Her lips curled upwards, pleased.

Before they joined the group huddled around a picnic table piled high with various festival foods, Hinata released both him and Akamaru. The dog bounded forward and wove himself around everyone's legs until they gave him a piece of their snacks.

Kiba handed Hinata a skewer of meat. She did not eat it until it sat and cooled. Same with the hot chocolate Shino pressed into her hand. Naruto tugged Sasuke close by the collar and forced him to try some kind of unidentifiable fried fish drowning in sauce. Sasuke became too busy to continue watching Hinata eat everything cold.

It was still gross.

They did not speak the rest of the night. But they stayed close. She tucked herself into his side multiple times. He leaned down and just breathed in the scent of her hair.

The only time they separated, Hinata headed over to talk to her father and sister. Sasuke recognized the woman who ambushed him at the hospital. Oh. That must be Hanabi, then.

When the other two people in her party were distracted, Hanabi caught his attention. She gave a little wave. He awkwardly waved back. She flipped him the bird. He held his hands up in surprise and offense. She laughed.

He watched for a moment before getting distracted. Ino, Sakura, and Tenten stood in a little group, glaring at him.

Ino, with her fingers in a 'v', pointed at her eyes then at him. Sakura drug her thumb across her throat. Tenten twirled a senbon between her fingers.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. 'Message received!' he aggressively signed over to them. Then he combined a couple of field signs. 'Person of importance. Careful handling; gentle cargo.'

Which, he did not mean to compare Hinata to cargo or a client. But the girls were smart. They could figure it out.

Indeed, Sakura started, letting out a surprised: "Oh!"

She tugged at the other girl's sleeves, and they put their heads together in a huddle. Whatever Sakura told them must have been positive. Ino no longer kept her hands free for her clan's signature jutsu. And Tenten hid the senbon on her person.

oOo

Later on that night, he caught Hinata in her own non-verbal conversation.

'Are you okay?' Shino signed at Hinata.

She smiled. Her sleeve hid most of her hand, but he could see enough to pick up the: 'Okay. Situation unchanged; calm.'

Hm. Handy. He wondered if he could get his sleeves elongated for missions where he needed to sign surreptitiously.

"Huh."

"Did you say something, Sasuke-san?" She asked.

"Is that a kunoichi thing? Signing behind your sleeve?"

Proving his point, she kept her hand covered by fabric and used it to muffle her laugh.

"There. That. We're not taught that." He said accusingly.

Her brows raised. "I'm surprised. Tsunade-sama does it all the time."

"She does?"

"It's techniques they teach really only to women, but a few men too."

His face twisted in confusion. "Why?" he asked, but soon the answer came to him.

Oh. Oh. They used those techniques for seduction. Oh shit.

For the rest of their time, they discussed how certain nin were taught to tempt their targets. Clinically so. Mostly, Sasuke felt offended.

But also justified. Because he did not remember her using any of the methods she discussed on him. Everything had been pure Hinata.

oOo

Coming up: Hinata touches Sasuke's elbow. (It'll make sense.)

***Note: Next update will be on Sunday, the 21st.