Furniture shopping was unnecessary. Hinata insisted on finding something she could contribute to the house from the abandoned Uchiha district, as long as it was fine with him, and as long as they stayed out of his childhood home, she could explore all she wanted. She found some of the oldest most tarnished-looking pieces of junk he had ever seen, but to her, they were treasures. It was odd to see a woman who had grown up rich with fine art completely lose her mind over junk.

It was kind of bittersweet and painfully cute. Hinata had never needed anything. She was provided with all she could ever need. However, she would be denied what she wanted if she asked. She would have never been allowed to restore a junky piece of furniture or have something cheap just because she thought it was charming.

Sasuke promised her anything she wanted no matter what junk he thought it was, and they would carry it to their homestead to be fixed. Right now, they only had his old bed mat, the blanket, some of the kitchen things from the old house, but she couldn't be happier. She smiled more than he had ever seen.

She insisted on doing most of the work herself, and the determined look in her eye and his lack of knowledge gave him no reason to deny her. He was surprised by what she could do with the abandoned junk left behind by his clan. She sanded, painted, and fixed wobbly legs. He wondered how she knew what she was doing and wondered further if she should have helped build the house. Though she insisted she was just learning through trial and error. Maybe she had more patience with error than he had.

She made old things new again, even gutted an old dresser, and made it into a seat with drawers for the hall.

The bath got some use when she was done, covered in dust, sweat, and paint, but she was beautiful all the more with paint on her nose and accomplishment across her face. A lot of the furniture got used. He couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her while she worked, making it all the more fun when she had finished the piece. Why not test it out.

Her sister had found out the hard way to at least knock when she came by, but she didn't seem to care, even seemed delighted, though she quickly left.

Everything was ignored for the first week. They didn't leave the district and hid away for the 'honeymoon.' They both knew that when they came out, there would be hell to pay, but for a little while, it didn't matter.

Hinata didn't know whether to be embarrassed or heart wrenched.

She couldn't believe her sister had walked in on them while bringing her more of her things. It was terrible. She should have more manners. Sadly Hinata knew she hadn't learned anything.

Her husband smiled at her and her red face. He did that all the time, making her blush just so he could stare. She hoped it didn't hurt him. She had hurt him enough.

She had made it a daily mission to make sure he knew she was truly there, never making a mistake to leave the room without his knowledge, making sure if he was in arms reach to reach out and touch him. Never going too long, just letting him stare across the room without asking him to join her.

She couldn't bear watching him hurt. He was such a sweet, thoughtful man, whether he thought so or not. He thought himself selfish. He expressed that wanting to keep her though she didn't know how he was was selfish, but it meant to her that even when she didn't know him. He cared enough not to abandon her and return to his old ways.

That thought had gotten her to wonder what would have happened if he had fled when he found out about her memory. Whether in fear or just assuming because she wouldn't remember that she wouldn't want him. What would have happened?

Someone would have told her, whether it be Hanabi or someone else, it wouldn't be a very long-kept secret. Would she have gone to him?

Well, she thought she would have. Whether it was to ask why he had left her at the hospital or to ask if it was true. She wouldn't have left something like that just go. She couldn't let her own decisions go like that. She had to have made them for a reason.

"What are you thinking about?" Sasuke wondered. She realized her face must have scrunched in thought. She smiled and laid her head on him, not answering. She was glad he was there.

The happy little world closed in on them when they went out into town. Hinata in need of paint and groceries, as well as anything she couldn't just make, and her sister unavailable to make the errand. He followed her into hell happily.

At first, it was just double-takes and strange looks. The village was under the impression that they had broken up or were no longer friends depending on how much they knew about the previous relationship. So everyone was confused to see them together, evermore because she had her arm linked around his.

He was sure she was simply ignoring the looks. She was observant. He knew she knew. She just didn't care. They bought paint, fabric, and staples, then pastries and groceries for the next couple of days.

The issues arise when someone came up to directly speak to them, or rather her.

"Hinata." They addressed, looking up at him and back down. Could they be any more obvious? "No one's seen you out in days. What have you been up to?"

"I moved out, Hana-chan." She told the woman with her head high and a light smile. "I have been preparing the house." She held up the paint to make her point, revealing both rings.

"Uh, well, you should see Kiba and Shino some time they have been looking for you." The woman tensed up, frowning at the two rings on her hand. "I know you're out of rotation right now, but you've even missed training."

"I will make sure I do." Hinata nodded.

When the woman left, he leaned down to his new wife. "Who was that?"

"Hana Inuzuka." She answered, making her purchase. "We should go." He nodded. He could put two and two together. Kiba had been hard to deal with in the past. His sister being the first to know they were married might be an issue.

"He came to the house," Sasuke noted.

" Really?" She squeaked. She was not surprised, all though this story he had been barely mentioned, and when he had, it was never good, so she knew at some point or another. Knowing Kiba, he would be upset with her for making large decisions without telling him anything.

"I will tell you now it was not handled well. I was… more than pissed off that he showed up to yell at you." Sasuke rubbed the back of his head.

"Hinata!" Kiba pounded on the front door. "I know he's keeping you in there. Come out!"

Sasuke slammed the door open. "I'm what?"

"Where is she?" He growled.

"She was taking a nap." So had he. It was a pretty hard nap, so he probably looked a little roughed up, not helping the man's opinion of him.

"Kiba-kun, you are being very loud and rude." His wife frowned, coming up behind him, rubbing her eyes. She still had paint on her cheek and her hair tied up in an odd direction. He pulled her away from her latest creation to curl up on the couch entangled. They fell asleep instantly, and she handed the crease marks on her face from his shirt to show just how hard they had knocked out.

"You disappeared, without so much as a word. Why isn't the Hyuga looking for you?" He demanded.

"The Hyuga know where she is. They just can't do anything about it." Sasuke crossed his arms. Her gentle hand came to his back as she leaned on him.

"Kiba-kun, I am here by choice. I haven't been out much because I don't want to cause an uproar." She explained softly.

"Is it true you got married? You didn't even tell us, or invite us, or well, anything!" He growled, becoming more and tense as he yelled.

Hinata looked between the two males realizing the obvious tension. "Sasuke, can you wait inside?"

"No." He told her flatly, not breaking eye contact with the man on his property.

She frowned at him with a sigh.

"Well?" Kiba barked.

"Watch your tone with my wife." Sasuke snapped. "We eloped, by definition. It wouldn't make sense to invite the whole damn village, would it."

"We're her friends." Kiba bared his teeth at Sasuke, prompting Hinata to step in front of him.

"Yes, you are, but I wanted to do this alone." She tried. "I know you didn't approve. Please understand I didn't want to be told I was wrong on my wedding night." Her stern, apologetic look annoyed him. She was too forgiving, in his opinion.

"You didn't even say you got re-engaged." He backtracked.

"I never said we broke the engagement." She countered.

He yelled in frustration ruffling his hair and waving his arm at her. "This is a mistake. You are only doing this because you want to feel wanted."

Hinata flinched back from him. Sasuke striked.

Kiba, who had been focusing on her and not him, was shoved harshly off the front porch.

Hinata squeaked, but he caught a protective arm around her ribs and kept her from going to him, but it was more so he did jump off the porch and do more damage. "Don't ever say anything like that to her again." Sasuke clenched his teeth, her arms clamped firmly over his. "Get out of my district."

Kiba took one look at her soon-to-be tear-streaked face and bolted.

She turned in his arm to bury her face. "He doesn't mean it." She whispered.

"I'll take your word for it." He frowned, pulling her back into the house.

"He didn't." Hinata played with her rings. "When he's hurt, he acts like a wounded animal. If growling doesn't work, go directly for where it will hurt most."

"It doesn't make it okay." She nodded in agreement.

"It is something he should work on. Though Shino usually levels with him." She defended.

"He did."

A lighter knock came to the door, which he opened, insisting she stay in the living room.

"If you are here to just yell, leave," Sasuke growled.

"I came to apologize and, if I may, directly to her," Shino told him flatly.

"Shino-kun." She peeked out from behind him to address. "Please come in."

Sasuke moved aside to let her teammate in though he wasn't pleased about it.

"We haven't finished the seating, but please join me in the living room." She waved her arm to have him sit at the short table she had fixed.

"I want you to know that Kiba is sorry, he realized his mistake, but I feel he is not entirely ungrounded in his concerns." He sat where she indicated.

She sat, waving Sasuke to join her. "I understand, but he was quite mean."

"We were worried. You said nothing to us about this marriage. We thought you lost interest." Shino nodded his head toward Sasuke. "No offense."

He didn't respond.

"I didn't inform anyone. We had to… well trick the Hyuga, I couldn't risk anyone knowing." She admitted.

"We wouldn't have told. We know the Hyuga." Shino frowned at her.

"We weren't taking risks. If the Hyuga even thought that we were trying to undermine them, they would have made her unreachable," Sasuke growled at him. He was not going to guilt his wife because she was protecting herself.

Hinata frowned at him, and he decided to cool down. "Shino-kun, we just took no risks. Kiba didn't like the idea of being friends with Sasuke, and telling him about the engagement didn't go well, so I couldn't be sure he wouldn't make a scene thinking he was protecting me."

Sasuke rubbed his temple. It was like she had older brothers, which confused him because he was sure she was older than both of them. He could be wrong.

"I'm not angry with you. I was just worried when no one had heard from you in a few days." He stood and bowed his head. "Sorry for the intrusion."

"No, it's fine, I understand." She hopped up to take him to the door.

"Can you do us a favor and keep the dogs off the lawn unless they come level-headed?" Sasuke called from his seat.

"I will make sure Kiba is calm before meeting with you again." Shino corrected.