AN: you may notice random periods at one point of the chapter, please disregard those. I was merely using them as space holders because for some reason whenever I try to leave a space between paragraphs on this site it just doesn't let me. =T

I know this chapter is a little later than antiipated. SORRY! I was having a little trouble with it, in fact I ended up deleting most of it and starting over. But here it is I hope every one enjoys it!

Once again, if you weren't signed in to your account when you reviewed the previous chapter, my reply to your review will be posted at the end of the chapter.

Thank You for reading! =)

CHAPTER FIVE

Itachi sighed in exasperation as he once again tried to fix his hair.

He was tempted to shave his head just to avoid going through this tedious ritual every morning. How his brother, who had as much patience as a five year old with diarrhea, could do this daily and still have hair left was a mystery.

He stared at his reflection twenty minutes later and decided to leave it the way it was. His alarm had gone off twice already and at this rate he was going to be late.

He let out another sigh, really. If TenTen weren't pregnant with his nephew he would have done something to retaliate.

Like cut her hair or something equally traumatizing.

He glanced at his watch and muttered a mild curse. He was going to be stuck in traffic. He quickly grabbed his tie off of his neatly made bed and hung it over his shoulder; he'd tie it in the car. Then he walked briskly to the kitchen for his morning orange juice with strawberries.

"You know, you do have your own place," Itachi pointed out as started cutting up his strawberries. His brother was perched by the breakfast bar munching on a slice of crisp toast. You'd think he owned the place with how he was just sitting there helping himself to breakfast.

"I've got a pregnant hormonal wife there. I needed a break." Uchiha Sasuke replied in between munches. His dark strands of hair moved with every joyful bite, a gleeful smile on his face as he ate which quickly turned sour at what his brother said next.

"And whose fault is that?"

"Really aniki? You're going to pull that at seven thirty in the morning?"

"I'll do what I want. Your wife cut my hair." Itachi said nonchalantly as he put the strawberries into a mug and started pouring his orange juice in after it.

He ignored the sounds of his brother's chuckles as he started towards his garage door.

"You know, most people don't believe me when I say that you're a whiner." Sasuke called after him.

Hinata turned the ringer off her cell phone as soon as it stopped ringing. She let out a sigh a relief when she saw that the missed call was from her father and not Itachi. A week had passed since her last encounter with Itachi and she expected that he'd call soon, demanding another non-date.

That was the problem.

Itachi made it crystal clear that he wanted her to do the courting. That meant that it was up to her to find interesting, entertaining things that would be mutually enjoyable, but that was a hard thing to do when she didn't know a thing about him.

She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against her knuckles.

Think Hinata, think!

The card!

Hinata jumped to her dresser and pulled her jewelry box, a beautiful velvet box that played music when it was opened. It had belonged to her mother before she passed away, and now it was one of, if not the most prized among her possessions. She liked to keep keepsakes in the box and she figured that the first card that her future husband had sent to her would be as good as anything else she kept in there.

She paused as she listened to the gentle tune of the box, it was the same one that her mother used to always hum.

Hinata smiled and briefly wondered how her mother would feel about what she was doing.

Would she be upset that she so flippantly used another person as a means to an end? Hinata felt herself tear at the thought. Her mother was one person she couldn't bear to disappoint, dead or alive.

But now wasn't the time to be thinking about this. She had things to do and she could not or rather she would not let herself be distracted by her morals. She shook the thoughts away and gingerly rummaged through the things in the box until she found the card.

I like steak and daisies

Enjoy your gift

-Itachi

Hinata put the small card back into its designated spot and closed the lid.

Steak and daisies

She could do that.

Was he allowed to call her?

He was her fiancé so technically he could show up randomly at her place and take her out to dinner and stuff, right?

So calling her was well within the boundaries of things a fiancé could do.

Or was he required to make an appointment like his significant others had to do?

Itachi stared at his phone as he contemplated his next move.

He wanted to see her, but what was appropriate?

Was it actually okay to just wait outside of her apartment for her to come home or was that borderline stalking?

He ran a frustrated hand over his face and let out an exasperated sigh. All of a sudden, the last twenty-five years he spent avoiding women didn't seem like such a great idea. It was pathetic that even his two experimental ones were no help. Neither lasted long enough or had any emotional investment, not on his part anyway. Neither of the relationship ended on a good note either. His ex-girlfriends hated him. Surely they'd give him bad advice just to sabotage him.

Not for the first time he wished he was better at being social and that he had friends he could ask for advice. Everyone he spoke to were either people that were somehow traced back to his company or family.

For all his genius he never quite grasped the concept of small talk.

Itachi sighed again, this time it was a sad sigh.

It was painfully lonely being at the top.

.

.

.

.

"So did it work?" Ino asked as she wrapped the bouquet that Itachi had picked out.

Itachi tilted his head as he thought about her question, he raised an eyebrow gesturing for her to continue.

Ino rolled her pretty blue eyes, her arms akimbo as she spoke slowly as though she were speaking to a child. "Did it get you a date?" Itachi had to admit it was a new experience; no one had ever spoken to him like that before and he decided that he didn't like it.

"Oh," He replied softly. "No, it didn't."

"And you're going to keep on sending her flowers until she does?"

"That's the idea." He ignored the obvious fact that Ino was fighting a laugh. Because really, he had no idea how he ended up in the situation that he was in. It seemed like a good idea the first time he did it and now it just kind of stuck. Of course there was also the fact that he had no freaking idea what he was doing. Maybe that was why she seemed so uninterested?

"Did she give any indication that she was interested in you?"

Did a wedding proposal count?

"Yes."

"Then you have nothing to worry about Itachi-san." Ino chirped. She inspected the arrangement one last time before handing it off to Itachi. "Maybe this time, instead of having Shikamaru deliver it, you can deliver it yourself? I'm sure she'd appreciate that."

The brunet paused and thought about it. This was the excuse he needed to go see her.

"I will Ino-san, thank you." He quickly paid for the flowers and walked briskly to his car with renewed confidence.

He was going to go see her. He was going to give her flowers in person.

However, once he got to his car he lost all direction he gained in the flower shop. The pragmatic part of his brain, the one that was about fifty times bigger than his impulsive side, kicked in.

What if the reason Hinata hadn't been in touch with him was because she was busy?

What if she hadn't contacted him because she was sick?

He was no stranger to the long hours and dedication running a company required. It was very well possible that the stress had gotten to her. He was no stranger to the experience, it was awful.

No doubt her father wouldn't be very sympathetic.

Itachi paused, what could he do?

"Hinata-sama!" Satomi called. "You have a guest!"

Hinata rubbed her eyes and put her paperwork down. "Coming!"

She checked the legal document she was working on off her to do list, and briskly made her way to the door.

"Itachi…kun," Hinata gave him a quick bow. "I didn't realize you were coming."

"I didn't either." Itachi replied sheepishly as his eyes flickered from hers to the floor. "I brought you soup."

"Soup?" Then with grace that ballerinas would envy, he walked across the foyer and settled a thermos in her hands.

"Soup."

Hinata bowed her thank you and stared at the thermos for a moment, not quite sure what to do with it.

Why had he brought her soup?

"Why don't I go put it in a bowl for you Hinata-sama?"

"Thank you Satomi-san."

"Would you like anything to drink Uchiha-sama?"

"I'm okay, thank you," Itachi replied politely.

Hinata watched Itachi observing and found herself wondering if it was this awkward between them before. The trip to the living room was quiet, neither were quite sure what to say.

What do you say to a guy you've been avoiding all week? Hinata wondered nervously as they stood silently in the middle of the living room.

Itachi turned around and gestured awkwardly to the couches. "May I have-"

"Seat! Of course, please have a seat Itachi-san,"

The man motioned for her to have a seat first in true gentleman fashion before taking his own beside her. "Kun" He said brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"I'm sorry?"

"You called me Itachi-san, I thought we agreed that you'd call me Itachi-kun," Hinata felt her heart melt a little when she saw the light blush on her fiancé's face.

"Right, I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize." He said once again brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Sorry," She said again. "Right…sorry." Hinata wanted to crawl into a hole. Why couldn't she stop apologizing?

A beat of silence passed between them before Hinata jumped up to her feet. "I'm going to go grab something. Please excuse me."

As soon as she left the room Itachi ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

What are you doing? He berated himself. You guys were fine before, what the heck happened?

"Uh, Itachi-kun?"

Itachi almost jumped from his seat, "Yes?" He cursed himself for not noticing her come in. His mother would kill him for his bad manners.

"You stand up when a woman enters the room, dear." He could practically feel her smack him upside the head.

"I got you a present." Hinata said, her lavender eyes peered at him under her thick lashes. Her cheeks started to flush when he made no move to take the proffered box.

Itachi watched his fiancée watch him, unsure what to do. It was his understanding that men did all of the present giving. At least that's what he learned from watching his parents interact. His father showered his mother with gifts.

Gifts and attention

"Are you going to open it?"

"Yes. Thank you." Itachi took a seat and placed the sizeable box on his lap.

Was it okay to accept it? He paused, consumed in his thoughts to realize that he was staring.

"Please open it," The brunette said softly, when he made no move to do just that.

Was it because he didn't like it?

But how could he not like it? He hadn't even opened the box yet.

Right, the present, He carefully peeled off the wrapping paper, doing it slowly to buy himself time to think of something to say.

While he loved and cherished moments of silence, the one between him and his fiancée was suffocating and was willing to give up an extremity to get rid of it.

"Do you like it?" Hinata asked as he opened the box.

Itachi fought his smile at the sight of what lay inside the box.

An assortment of hair accessories, hair wax, gel and spray along with a home made book with "Dummies Guide to Hair Dressing" glued onto the cover with magazine cut outs and stenciled letters.

Touchė Hyuuga Hinata, touchė

Nwonderland: ahhh you're so awesome. lol. I was actually really surprised that no one had thought of this before. I actually searched through all of the Itachi Hinata stories I could find to see if there was one like this before I started this story. I love the idea that awkward little hinata would have to go out of her way to get the all powerful Itachi to fall for her. Granted he's already gone and done that so her job is a little easier but I think its still so much fun to write. thank you for taking the time to review. I appreciate it so much =)

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Wannabe Uchiha: Is she? I had no idea. lol. Gosh, can you imagine what would happen if Hinata was as socially awkward as sai? I don't think even locking them in a room for a year would work to get them together. lol. than you for reviewing, I appreciate it so much!

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Once again, thank you so much to all those who reviewed! I love reading them, especially after a long day, it just brings a smile to my face. I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

Thank You!