Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
"Itachi-kun, how do you feel about Hinata-chan?"
If Itachi was clumsy and very open with his outward emotions he might have let his chopsticks slip through his fingers and spill the contents he was eating for breakfast when his mother came straight up to him and got right to the point that had been gnawing on her mind the previous days.
It had been a couple of days since their date and Hinata had to go on a mission which was why the man happened to be home for a late breakfast with his outspoken mother.
All he did as a reaction to her question was slightly pause in his eating to ask, "Why would you ask about that?"
Itachi felt triumphant in his mother's frustrated look she shot him.
Nope he must not let his mother read him too early in the game.
"It is just that I've been hearing things about you being around her more often so I was wondering if maybe you were dating."
"In sense we are."
Mikoto looked incredulous, "What does that even mean?!"
Itachi just shrugged at his mother and walked out of the room leaving the poor woman with her thoughts once again.
Finally deciding on just leaving her son alone, Mikoto left the Uchiha compound to seek a certain blond that she had been conspiring with.
"Ino-chan!" Mikoto exclaimed upon finding her soon-to-be daughter in law, "Just the girl I need!"
After giving her future mother in law a hug the blond finished watering the flowers she was attending to.
"Is there something you need Mikoto-san?"
"I was wondering how we would be able to get Hinata-chan over for dinner." The blond woman paused in what she was doing, "Are you not going to have Itachi-kun do it?"
The dark haired woman solemnly shook her head. "He won't even talk about meeting up with her!"
"Hmm" Ino put a delicate hand to her mouth in thought.
"How about we invite her over on a whim?"
"What?" the onyx eyed woman hadn't thought of that.
"Yeah! Hinata is on a mission and so we won't be able to ask her anyways but she's supposed to get back tonight and so maybe we could have her come shopping for ingredients and then invite her to cook with us and then stay and eat!"
The older woman perked upon hearing the idea; "Yes, let's do that!"
Hinata got back that night just like Ino had predicted.
She was tired from having to track down a nuisance of a bandit that has been harassing people on their way to Konoha. He really wasn't even that hard to catch it was his way of being able to slip out of his bonds that was tricky.
It was almost as if the man was able to phase through whatever he pleases like a ghost.
Annoying really.
When he had done it for the third time, she just locked his chakra points and paralyzed him. Unfortunately her and her teammates had to carry him the rest of the way back to the village.
Now that she was back Hinata was able to get a good night's rest and decided that she would attempt to have a "me" day that following morning.
The day to pamper herself started off fine with her treating herself to a nice book in a small café until Ino arrived…with Mikoto close behind.
I guess there is no such thing as a "me" day after all…
Hinata had noticed her pampering had come to an abrupt end once she saw that the two women had locked their focus onto her and headed in the poor girl's direction immediately after.
"Hinata-chan," Ino waved at the bluenette while the latter contemplated explaining to the blond that she wanted a day to her herself.
That is until Mikoto came to join them, "Hinata-chan! Long time no see."
All ideas on how to evade ruining her day to herself flew out the window the moment she had to risk slighting the Uchiha matriarch.
"Uchiha-san, hello," Hinata, greeted politely, "I'm out shopping for a big dinner at my house Hinata-chan would you care to join us? I'd really appreciate the help."
Mikoto put her hands together to emphasize that she was pleading with her to come and so Hinata consented.
The three woman rally enjoyed each other's company as they shopped.
They each talked about old missions and academy days; Ino even told Hinata (retold for Mikoto) how Sasuke had proposed to her.
Hinata had forgotten how much fun having a girl's day can really be.
Her best friends were boys after all but maybe it was time she reached out more to the women in her life. Tenten and Hanabi came to her mind at that thought but maybe instead of staying close to family, she could get closer to Ino too.
Mikoto used to come around and check on her as a young girl after her mom passed but she had two boys to attend to so after a while the visits came to an end. Maybe it would be alright if she reached out to the older woman again. Mikoto seemed to still enjoy having her around.
So much so, the older woman invited Hinata to come cook with her and Ino so that they could continue their 'girly fun.'
And that's where they are now. Ino was sitting on a counter licking a spoon while Mikoto was working on Dinner and Hinata was working on desert.
"You would eat the cookie dough while Hinata-chan and I slave away," Mikoto laughed as Ino stuck her tongue out in a very childish manner earning a giggle from Hinata.
"I don't mind," the bluenette soothed; "besides, according to Choji-kun, Ino-chan isn't the best baker."
The women began to giggle again after seeing Ino pout.
None of the ladies noticed the three Uchiha men that passed by slightly stunned at seeing the crowded kitchen. Itachi was even more stunned at seeing Hinata giggling with the two regulars in the home as if she belonged. He shared a glance at an equally confused Sasuke who shrugged and left to go train while he waited for dinner. Itachi decided to follow suit before he allowed his curiosity to get the better of him and interrupt the fun that was going on in the kitchen.
Unfortunately, dinner didn't go as Mikoto had planned.
Once everyone was seated at the table, Itachi and Hinata stole glances at one another for only the first five minutes in. After that they pretty much acted as if there was nothing really going on.
No accidental brushes or even slight blushing when one addressed the other. Apparently the whole idea about being able to read the pair was off entirely.
Although they did seem to get along fine, both of them had enough in common that they could pretty much carry on the entire conversation themselves.
If only Ino wasn't a talker then maybe that would have happened.
Mikoto and Ino unintentionally dominated the conversations and the only reason why the Uchiha matriarch noticed that the couple had anything in common was because both would politely insert a comment or two on the same subjects.
As far as secretive or any romantic interaction of the kind, there really wasn't much.
The dark look that Itachi shot his mother with didn't help because it pretty much screamed that he was on to her.
So even if there was something then nothing would have happened as long as her son knew she was trying to gather information on him.
And now for the desert, Hinata not only made it but she also offered to serve it along with Ino who volunteered to help.
"I'll help." Itachi stood up abruptly stopping Ino from moving from her spot, and quickly followed Hinata into the kitchen.
"The cookies smell amazing, Hinata-san," the former turned around startled. Itachi quickly moved closer to her to help balance the plate of chocolate chip cookies she nearly spilled from her surprise.
"You know you don't have to be here," the male whispered. He indeed knew what his mother was up to and he didn't want the object of his affections to end up being scared off because his mother wants them to move faster than they already are.
Hinata shot the older male a questioning look, "Do you not want me here?"
For some reason disappointment rushed through her at the thought. Maybe she is becoming more interested in the guy before her…
"I just don't want you to feel like you have to be here," Itachi looked deeply into her light colored eyes.
"What if I want to be here?"
Itachi was lucky he was good at covering his emotions, for his pulse quickened a bit. He then leaned in close and whispered beside her ear, "Then stay."
Hinata blushed at the statement. "I must warn you though," he began again his silky voice low for only her to hear, "My mother thinks that we are an item so she's been trying to figure out what exactly is going on between us."
Hinata's blush grew darker as Mikoto's actions and words began to click in her mind. Blinking, she peered up and locked eyes with Itachi once again, "Isn't that what we are supposed to seem so others will leave us be?"
Her innocent question shocked Itachi. So is she saying it's alright to act like a couple in front of mother?
Itachi voiced his thought and Hinata shyly nodded her consent.
"That was the point of us pretending to go out so I-I don't mind," she nervously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Itachi-kun? What is taking you guys so long?"
The couple looked to the dining room and started to walk over that way. "If it seems like too much let me know," Itachi murmured before he grabbed the extra cookie plate and walked off.
The couple sat back down as the family began to once again spend time while eating.
Let the games begin…
Itachi allowed his intense gaze to fall on the shy girl every once in a while since he had tried so hard not to before.
Mikoto and Ino of course noticed the son's actions. To their joy the girl beside him seemed very conscious of his closeness to her as well and she wasn't looking repelled so that was something right?
Hinata's giggling as well as all conversation was abruptly stopped once everyone saw Itachi wipe chocolate off of the bluenette's bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.
Sasuke and Fugaku put on emotionless masks to hide their shock as Itachi went as far as to lick the chocolate from his finger while intensely staring down the poor blushing guest who looked as startled as everyone else had felt. Mikoto and Ino tried to maintain their lady like manners by keeping their mouths shut in opposed to allowing their jaws to drop at the open affection the raven haired man had just displayed.
The oldest Uchiha son then looked around as if nothing had happened as he "innocently" picked up the last cookie from the table and began to eat once again.
"I will escort you home whenever you are ready to go Hinata-san," he murmured quietly as he finished eating his treat.
"You're right it's getting late! Sasuke-kun will you take me home?" Ino looked to her fiancée who grunted in reply and got up to leave.
Hinata and Itachi did the same soon after.
"Thank you for having me over," the woman bowed before leaving the house.
"Any time sweet heart, I love having you around so we'll have to do this again." Mikoto waved at the smiling girl as Itachi left with Hinata in toe.
Ino had held back so that she could make an observation to the older woman, "I think Itachi-kun figured out what we were up to."
Mikoto nodded, "That didn't stop him from doing what he did at desert though."
"Do you think that was meant to get a reaction out of us?"
Mikoto shrugged, "Who knows, but I do know that he likes her and his actions are going to force Hinata-chan to actually consider him seriously before anything else happens in their relationship. I think what we did is enough of a push for now."
The blond nodded her understanding and grabbed her boyfriend's arm. "See you later," she waved, Ino hopped that Mikoto was right about what happened tonight.
As Hinata and Itachi walked home they both were silent for a while lost in their own thoughts.
"I really did have fun Itachi-san."
Itachi glanced at the woman next to him, even the part where I practically came on to you? The man quietly wondered.
"Um, I-Itachi-san?"
"Hn?"
"I-I don't think we should pretend to be in a relationship anymore," Hinata bit her lip upon hearing the only logical question to follow, "Why?"
"Your mother seemed so happy at the idea of you being with someone. I, I just don't know if it's right to deceive her."
Itachi bowed his head in understanding. "Would you still want to see me?"
The woman looked baffled by the question, "Of course!"
"I really like being around you Itachi-san, and well after dessert tonight if we ended up acting like that more often then I'm just…" Hinata trailed off and bit her lip uncertain if she should continue, "I'm not sure I would be able to decipher where the line is and start taking you seriously."
Itachi stopped walking, and Hinata turned to him looking mildly confused at his abrupt action.
"You don't want to become attracted to me and get used to something that isn't there." It was more of a stated conclusion than a question.
Hinata nodded, "I don't want to end up assuming anything."
She wrapped her arms around her middle as if to put a barrier in between them.
"If that is what you wish, then I will not pretend to be your boyfriend anymore."
The pair slowly started to walk again. Only stopping and speaking once they reached the Hyuuga compound.
"Hinata-san?"
"Hmm?"
Itachi's slender fingers slid under her chin and lifted her face so that he could make eye contact. He then tilted his head slightly and leaned in closer, their noses barely toughing.
"I am very attracted to you," his breath ghosted across her face, "If you don't mind; I would like to actually try being a real couple."
Itachi then kissed the blushing woman's cheek and smirked, "You don't have to answer now, but I would like one in the near future. I will warn you though, I do not like to be kept waiting, nor do I appreciate the phrase 'just friends.'" After speaking his peace, Itachi left the woman in her surprised state.
What was that?!
Well, Hinata had a lot to think about tonight before going to sleep that's for sure.
Thanks once again for all of your support!
