Author Note: Since I couldn't upload on Valentines' Day to wish everyone a Happy Valentines' Day but the mobile ffnet was acting ruthless so here you go. Two chapters! And the next update will be two chapters to catch everyone up faster!

2.11

Hinata leaned against the brick wall of Seven Deadly Skins and flinched when the parlor doors opened. Sasuke came outside and adjusted his beanie against the wind. "What's going on?"

Hinata clasped her hands together and looked up at him. "I…" Her eyes burned from upcoming tears—

"And that's how all of your dreams have been ending?" Sasuke snapped her out of her little trance. She nodded. "You think it means something?"

Hinata shrugged. "I always w-wake up before I can tell you whatever it is," she ran a hand through her hair. "It's f-frustrating." Her voice softened.

Sasuke sat up and popped his back. Hinata always reprimanded him about it. The Uchiha turned back to her and placed a hand on her bent knee. "How do you know it wasn't good news?"

Hinata closed her eyes and covered her mouth with a tired arm. "It didn't feel like it," her voice muffled.

Storm jumped on the bed and crawled into Sasuke's lap. He didn't exactly know how to comfort her. "At least I was there," he realized. "There's no point in stressing about it."

Sasuke gave Storm the affection he wanted. Hinata watched them interact beneath her arm. On his shoulder sat her drawn sun. Hinata smiled lightly. Sasuke was precious even if he didn't want to admit it. He was telling her that she wasn't alone. It didn't leave his mouth but it reached her ears.

"You're right," she mumbled and rolled onto her stomach. Sasuke finished rubbing the cat's chin and placed a hand on the small of her back. The Uchiha adjusted himself a bit until she said, "I'm baby sitting today."

All physical contact was lost as Sasuke got up. Hinata turned to see him head towards the bathroom. "Where are you going?" A growing grin rose to her lips.

"I'm leaving."

"I told them I'd keep him over night."

"Then I'm staying-" he paused at the bathroom doorway. "You know, away."

Hinata followed him inside and hugged the rushing Uchiha. "Kids love you."

"But if only the feeling was mutual," said Sasuke as he reached for his toothbrush. Hinata reached for her own with a pout. "It's not like you need my help."

"But I do."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It looks like you can handle 30 kids on your own, Miss Hyuuga."

That's right… She was going to be a teacher. Hinata shook her head. "But I-"

"I also have double shifts tonight," he said while brushing his teeth. Hinata brushed hers with less vigor. Sasuke just closed his eyes and continued with his routine. "But I believe in you." He kissed her forehead.

Hinata cleaned her mouth and followed him back into the room. He pulled off his t-shirt from the back. Hinata never understood guy shirts. "But you don't have to go right now?" She asked. "You're about five hours too early."

"When is the kid coming over?"

"Thirty minutes maybe?" Hinata mumbled sitting on the bed.

"I'll only need fifteen," Sasuke rummaged through his dresser. He shook his head to her whining. "I wasn't the one to volunteer to watch anyone's demon." Sasuke saw Hinata's eyes widened. "Hinata…"

"No, I g-get it." She looked away. "You hate children. My profession-"

Sasuke took her shoulders and kissed the unexpecting woman. Hinata almost felt lightheaded and grinned against his lips. Sasuke closed his eyes when her fingers ran through his hair and scalp. Sasuke gently laid her down. "I don't exactly hate them," he whispered over her neck. They both knew it was sensitive skin. That's evil.

"You j-just don't like them?" Her ankles locked above him.

He shrugged and shook his head again. Careful thumbs made circles at her waist. "I just don't like other people's kids."

Hinata covered her face in embarrassment. She supposed it was embarrassment. "What d-does that mean?" Before he could get it out the doorbell rang. Sasuke groaned and placed his face at the crook of her neck. "Did I say thirty…I meant ten."

"You know, I have nightmares too." He removed himself from her. Hinata fixed the back of her hair and went to get the door. Sasuke grumbled sourly before following her.

::

The kid had dark hair and bright blue eyes. Sasuke grimaced. If he and Naruto could have kids together it'll look like this, he was sure. Hinata let the quiet boy in the condo, he latched onto her leg. "I'll take really good care of him," she assured the parents.

The mother nodded. "I'm sure! Thank you so much for this, Hinata-san. Haru is a quiet boy. Loves long baths for some reason."

His father chuckled. "Put him in front of a fish bowl, it's like television."

Hinata ruffled the four year old's hair. "We have a c-cat, is that alright?" The child nodded slowly. He waved goodbye to his parents. "Come along, let me show you the-"

Haru and Sasuke were in the middle of some sort of dominance staring contest. Sasuke took Hinata's wrist just as Haru tightened his grip on her leg.

"Mine." They both recited.

Hinata sighed. This was going to be a long night. "Do you want breakfast, Haru-kun?" He looked at her with ocean blue orbs. Hinata's bottom lip trembled at his sheer cuteness. "Or lunch, maybe dinner?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Weak."

Hinata picked the boy up. Haru hugged her closely and turned from the Uchiha. "Don't glare at him," Hinata scolded Sasuke. "I thought you were leaving."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "No."

Haru peeked at the man. "Hina, who's he?"

Hinata almost had to strain to hear the boy at was literally at her ear. "Mm…he is my boyfriend." She sat him down at the table with his coloring book and some markers.

"No," he said still looking at the much older male.

"No?" Hinata smiled and sent Sasuke a humored look. "Who is my boyfriend, Haru?"

He popped the cap off of a green marker. "Me."

She was the only one laughing. Sasuke was still glaring daggers at the child. "You are, Haru?" Hinata looked in the refrigerator.

"Yes." He started coloring.

Sasuke walked in the kitchen. "What's with him?"

"Nothing," Hinata mumbled.

"Why would he say that? Why are you entertaining that?"

Hinata put three eggs on the counter and looked at him curiously. "I don't know, Sasuke. Are you really worried a four year old will steal me?"

"No," he grumbled. "He's just weird."

Haru looked at the couple. "Hina-chan, do you have mackerel?"

Hinata shook her head. Sasuke motioned with his head. "Weird."

She nudged him. "You're weird. Leave him alone."

::

Sasuke had been thinking about that brat the entire time. It wasn't that he didn't trust a four year old but…

"I'm closing early," Temari told him.

Gaara, Kankuro and Sasuke watched her close the appointment book. "What do you mean closing?" Kankuro asked.

"I am going somewhere tonight," the blonde smile thoughtfully.

Gaara crossed his arms. "With who?"

Temari placed both hands at her hips. "With who? I'm a grown woman. Mind your business. All of you."

They all raised a pierced brow at the same time. "You're going on a date with an unfamiliar man, the least you could do is tell your brothers." Sasuke said with a smirk.

Temari hit him hard in the chest. "You, shut up. When I can gather the time to train another receptionist then we don't have to deal with this."

Sasuke rubbed his now sore nipple piercing. Gaara didn't look please and Kankuro shrugged. Temari nodded.

When Sasuke got home, he heard Hinata laughing. "Really, Haru-kun?"

He dropped his bag and went into the master bathroom.

Hinata and Haruka were in a bubble bath. She was washing his hair with care. "Kaa-san said she'll let me join the swim club."

"I bet Kaa-san will be so proud, huh?"

He held a toy dolphin in the air and splashed in the water. "Do you swim, Hina?"

Hinata poured water over the boy's head, careful to protect his eyes. "No, I can't." She giggled. "You'll teach me won't you?"

He turned around to her with sparkling eyes. "Yes!"

Sasuke knocked at the door. Hinata turned to her boyfriend. "You're h-home early."

Sasuke nodded and entered the bathroom. "Temari had a date."

Haru watched Sasuke sit on the covered toilet seat. The man sighed and rubbed his neck. "I'll be back," he told Hinata before moving to the end of the tub. "Who put all those markers on you?"

Sasuke looked at his forearms and back at the kid. "I did."

"Why?"

"I like them."

"Oh."

"Hn."

Blue clashed with black. Sasuke shrugged. "Why do you swim so much."

"I like it."

Sasuke nodded. "Oh."

"Hn," the boy mocked before moving back to Hinata.

"Alright, I'm all wrinkly now!" Hinata unplugged the stopper and grabbed two towels. "Wait, right here." Haru nodded and turned to play more with his toy. Hinata looked over at Sasuke. "Look away!"

He grumbled and looked down. Hinata wrapped a large white towel around her body. "Don't you think he's old enough to understand that you're naked?"

Hinata turned to pull Haru out the bathtub. "He was only concerned with the water." She placed the large towel around him. "He's a good boy." She helped him dry his hair.

Haru peered at Sasuke. "You should be a good boy too."

Hinata's phone rang in the next room. "Sasuke, c-can you help?"

"Whatever," he waved her off. Haru and Sasuke walked into the room and grabbed his night clothes. They had fishes on them. "You think this might be an obsession?"

Haru shook his head. "You're covered in markers too."

The Uchiha was beginning to believe Haru was smarter than he led on. He squatted to the child. "Are you dry?"

"Sadly," he mumbled.

Sasuke smirked and grabbed the little shirt. "Raise your arms," he instructed. Haru did as told. "Your head is too big."

"No." Haru grabbed his larger hands and pushed the fabric down. "See."

"I see." Sasuke thumped his forehead. "Excuse me for not wanting to hurt your head, Aqua Lad."

His eyes widened at the nickname. "Think so?"

Sasuke helped him into his overnight briefs. "I guess."

"Tank you." Haru helped the man as they put on his bottoms. Sasuke put the kid on the bed. "Socks."

"Really?"

He nodded sadly. "Kaa-san says." Sasuke nodded in understanding.

Hinata stood at the door. Sasuke was a natural with kids. It was something heart warming about seeing him like this. Hinata clutched her chest. "Awh…"

Both males turned to her. They both looked away embarrassed. It just causes her awes to increase in volume. Storm peeped in and went back into the living room upon seeing the little boy still there. "Hinata-"

"Too late!" She scooped the boy up. "You're so nice. Isn't he, Haru?"

He nodded. Sasuke turned away.

::

In the middle of the night, Hinata woke up to find both Sasuke and Haruka missing. She drowsily padded to the living room to see Haru asleep in Sasuke's crossed lap. Sasuke was knocked out propping up on the armrest. Storm woke up when she turned off the Waterfall Nature Track. She left and came back to apply blankets and pillows.

"Come on Storm," she motioned. The gray cat jumped off the couch and followed her back into the room. "You think we'll have a f-family like that one day?" She had no choice but to talk to the cat. It meowed and curled up against her stomach.

::

"I don't wanna go…" Haruka pouted.

Hinata and Sasuke tried holding their ground. Sasuke wanted to snatch the kid and run for it. "Bye Aqua Lad." He decided to say and held out a fist.

Haru looked at him with those damn deep ocean eyes and bumped his fist. "Bye Markers."

Hinata waved as they pulled the two away. Sasuke closed the door. Hinata went to grabbed the thrown sheets on the couch. They wanted to make a No Girls Allowed Fort. It was childish and ultimately hurt Hinata's feelings. They let her in.

Sasuke grabbed her hand before she could tear it down. "Come inside," he pulled her under the make shift fort.

Hinata laughed when she fell on his chest. "It's s-so cramped."

Sasuke nodded. "It is, it was a lot more entertaining with that kid."

Hinata nodded and just ended up straddling him. There was barely any space between the couch and glass table. She smiled when he grabbed her waist. "It was…"

Sasuke sighed. "Let's have kids."

Hinata looked at him as if he had lost the last bit of his mind. "W-when?"

"Right now." said Sasuke. Hinata managed to stand, destroying the fort in the process. Sasuke sat up. "What? I figure if we start now-" he paused when she almost tripped over the sheets. "We can have seven running around before we're thirty."

Hinata turned around and paled. "S-seven?"

"Eight?" He took her hand. "I know you like even numbers." Hinata couldn't even speak. Sasuke held her between him and the wall. "It was a joke."

Hinata sighed deeply. "Oh thank goodness…"

Sasuke took her face. "I'm not crazy but your expression was priceless…" Hinata closed her eyes since she couldn't look away. "Honestly, you should know me by now." He walked into the room.

Hinata watched him go. "But I-"

The doorbell rang again. "I'm not getting out of bed again!" Sasuke shouted.

Hinata rolled Opal eyes while going to the door. Did Haru leave some-

"Gaara?" Hinata blinked at the red head.

"Where's Sasuke?"

Hinata scratched her cheek. "He, um, said he wasn't getting out of bed…b-but I'll tell him that you're here."

::

2.12.2

Hinata pushed the parlor door open and went to greet everyone accordingly. "I made cookies for the kids but-" She stopped upon seeing only a woman other than Temari sitting at the front desk.

"Do you have an appointment?" She asked dryly. Hinata shook her head but before she could explain, the woman waved her along. "We don't want your cookies."

"Who are you?" Hinata blurted out. She didn't have to be so rude! The Hyuuga put her cookies down on the table and clutched the strap of her bag.

"Why does that matter?" She snapped. "Who are you? Miss Muffin?"

"Excuse me?" Hinata's grip tightened as the woman stood. She looked oddly familiar but at the same time irrelevant. "I am always here."

"New year, new change," she replied. The woman wore a crop top and shorts, all visible skin inked. Her hair was rather long and dark blue. "If you're not getting a piercing then get out."

Hinata dipped her hand in her purse just as the door chimed and the guys came in. Sasuke noticed the hand in her bag. "Princess…" He warned.

Hinata pulled out her fully charged taser. Naruto raised his hands out of forced habit. Gaara sipped on his drink and walked into the back room.

"Sasuke, who is she?!" Both women shouted.

The Uchiha grabbed Hinata's wrist. "Honestly, are you trying to do prison time?"

The Hyuuga pouted softly. "N-no, but she's rude."

"She's my ex. Temari hired her."

Hinata whipped around at the frowning woman. Oh, she just dyed her hair a different color. Her taser in the other hand and pointed towards the evil thing. "You hurt him."

Sasuke snatched the weapon out of her hand. "Hinata, you can't taser people."

"Yes!" She reached upward as he held it above his head. "G-give it back! Sasuke-" he took her chin with the opposite hand and kissed the upset woman. Hinata visibly calmed down and stopped trying to grab the taser.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Hinata nodded and pointed to the container of cookies. "I brought some cookies from, um, school."

"He hates sweets," the random girl grinned.

Sasuke placed a holding grip on Hinata's shoulder. "She's a loophole," he sighed. He really hates talking to her. "Would you get back to work? Temari isn't paying you for this."

Kankuro huffed. "She's not paying me at all." He nudged the fuming Hyuuga. "I would have loved to see you taser her."

"Kankuro," Sasuke bit out.

"Hey," he raised defensive hands before sitting next to Naruto, who choose to destroy her cookies. "Leave me some, asshole."

Sasuke pulled Hinata into the second back room. "You didn't tell me she would be here, why?" Hinata almost accused.

He closed the door pretty hard. "I didn't know either. Gaara just told me to be prepared. That's all he said last night."

Because they all knew he wouldn't have come in if he knew what that meant. Hinata watched Sasuke shift back and forth on his hip. It was a habit he picked up when he was angry. The shorter woman took his clenched fist. "Can you - handle it?"

"Of course," he breathed. "I just don't like being lied to."

She smiled at his stoic face. "I promise if she hurts you again," Hinata wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm going to taser her."

Sasuke cupped the girl's face and proceeded to squeeze her cheeks. "I'm going to visit you in jail one day."

She nodded. "Please?"

::

They called her Red. She had a quick tongue and sharp eyes. Hinata deemed the poor thing completely irrelevant and unnecessary.

"You know, Sasuke gets bored easily."

"No, I didn't know that." Hinata flipped through a magazine.

"He's demanding." Hinata nodded along. She worked with enough children to know when they needed attention. "He'll want you to cook and clean and-"

"He has OCD but if it's not messy then you wouldn't have to worry about that." Hinata glanced up. "We cook together."

"He'll always want sex too."

Hinata laughed, so hard that she needed to cover her face with a magazine. "A-are you finished?"

"You think you're so cute," she pointed. "You're just his present."

"And future and if I'm lucky we'll meet in the next life," she closed the magazine. "Past issues are very outdated, yes?" Hinata stood with a full smile. It was her only weapon considering Sasuke made her empty her purse.

"You know-"

Kankuro groaned. "She doesn't care!" He shouted across the room.

Naruto brought her empty container of cookies over. Hinata smiled. "Did you save any for Sasuke?"

"Yes. He ate them already."

Sasuke walked out with a grinning college girl. She bounded to the mirror to see her brand new butterfly tattoo. "I'm out," he was putting on his jacket then paused. "Princess, where's your jacket?"

"Oh," her cheeks tinted. "I let Ino borrow it at school but it wasn't too cold so…"

"Wear my jacket," he tossed the leather garment to her.

"You'll be cold."

He shrugged. "It never bothered me anyway. Just put it on."

Hinata did as told with a pout. "You are demanding."

He threw an arm around her and led her out. "Duh."

::

Hinata walked inside their apartment and deflated. Sasuke watched her in a confused matter. "What?"

"It was s-so hard not to stutter in front of her! I felt s-so mean but she was mean to you!" Her face burned. "I did good?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and went to feed Storm. "Yes."

The flustered girl sighed. "Can I have my stuff back?"

"I'm not bailing you out of jail."

Hinata walked after the Uchiha. "You and Naruto-kun are really sensitive about that? What happened?"

Sasuke turned to her. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But Sasuke-" he closed the bathroom door on her. "I want to know!"