XxpuppetmasterxX and LilMzSunshine

Chapter 2: The Wait

A/N: Just so you know, Hinata writes for a bizarre alternate-universe fictionpress, where everybody reads and reviews a lot... kind of like fanfiction for original stories. Most of the names in Hinata's story have the same basic meaning as the names of the characters they're based on (i.e. "Youko" means "sun child").

Music played at weddings always reminds me of the music played for soldiers beefore they go into battle.

— Heinrich Heine (no, I don't know who he is, I just needed a quote.)

LilMzSunshine,

The following review has been submitted to: Matchmaker, Matchmaker Chapter: 1

From XxpuppetmasterxX

This story is AMAZING! I can't believe I found this, it was exactly what I was looking for! I mean, I love your other stuff, but this is my favorite yet! It's so insightful... you're great at capturing emotions.

Loved the part with the crush and his slutty girlfriend. What a bastard. I hope Youko's not still in love with him after that.

"Oh my god! Oh my god oh my god!" Hinata stared in amazement at the simple email. "Oh my god..." Stunned, she checked the stats on her most recent story. On the favorites list of the following members... XxpuppetmasterxX included. "NEJI! Neji, GUESS WHAT? Guess what?"

"You're getting off the computer so I can check my email?" the young man asked without much hope.

The not-so-subtle hint flew over Hinata's head. "No, XxpuppetmasterxX reviewed my story! And he put it on his favorites list! There are only three others on his faves, and two of them are by Fanny'n'SandyMcGee, and they know him in real life! And... and..." I love your other stuff, but this is my favorite yet! He read her other stuff... the famous XxpuppetmasterxX had read her other stuff... Hinata had a fair following online, but this was beyond her.

"That's amazing, Hinata," Neji agreed, more amused than blown away. "I'm surprised anybody read that thing. Isn't it just you bitching about having to get married?"

"It's how I cope, OK?" Hinata snapped, her reverie broken by the unwelcome reminder of the disaster that had sparked this bit of fortune. "...Nii-san... you don't think that... I'll have to stop writing, when I'm married, do you?"

Neji's expression softened, mostly because Hinata had snapped at him, and that was the number one sign that she was in horrible emotional turmoil over this marriage. "Of course not," he assured her, wrapping his arms around her from behind as she replied to her prize review. "Don't let this guy push you around, ok? Remember, he's the one who should consider himself lucky to be with you, not the other way around. You've got the power in this relationship; you're the heir to the Hyuuga empire (and it really is an empire...damn, you've got some property coming to you when your old man kicks it) he's just a kid from a 4th rate village. Not to mention, all boys are horny little bastards, so you can always withhold sex. Oldest trick in the book."

The hug and friendly advice was a little cheering, but she sighed nonetheless. "I dunno... I don't like relationships were one person holds too much power."

"I know that, Hinata-sama."

Hinata blinked. "Are you mocking me?"

"Yes. Always. Can I check my email?"

"I talked to Father," Temari spat the word; she hadn't quite forgiven her father for marrying off her brother... or for trying to marry her off, three years ago, for that matter. "He says you can take the puppets, just don't give away any military secrets, 'even to your wife'."

Kankuro laughed bitterly. "Yeah, like I'm really going to be talking to her."

"Like Leaf would bother to attack us," she added sarcastically, sitting cross-legged next to the computer. "So, what's the word on internet erotica?"

"That's not all I do online."

"I know. Read anything good?"

"Yeah, actually. LilMzSunshine, that author that WhatADrag recommended, wrote this awesome story, so I left a review."

"YOU reviewed?" Temari's mouth dropped open. "You didn't even review those two things Gaara and I did!"

"Why bother? I could tell you in person they were wonderful."

"You're the kind of reader authors hate, you know that?"

"It keeps up my aura of mystery, what can I say?"

"So, what was this story about?"

"A girl trapped in an arranged marriage."

"Oh. So it's not really that great, is it, you just sympathized."

"No, Temari, it's really good!"

Temari smiled. "I believe you... her stuff is really great, I've read some of it. AND reviewed."

"All right, so I'm a bad person. Anyway, she wrote me back... apparently she's in the same boat I am; her dad's making her marry some weirdo..."

"Don't say that too fast," Temari warned, "You could be the guy she's marrying."

Kankuro shook his head. "Nah, she lives in Hidden Cloud."

"Ooh, disappointing," sighed Temari. "Oh well, at least you've got a friend who's not sick of listening to you complain."

"Yeah. God, I hope this family has a computer."

"I'm sure they do... Konoha's not stuck in the Stone Age, if all else fails, it's not like we don't have friends with computers there."

"You and Gaara have friends there... I don't."

"We'll give you Shikamaru, Naruto and Lee's addresses. They'll hook you up. People there are real friendly, even you won't have too much of a problem."

Hinata was avoiding going home because she had the premonition that her mother was hunting her down to pick out a dress and talk about sex, so she was meeting with Shikamaru down by the river. The two of them were good friends, mostly because they were each other's number one fan online.

"I read your new story," Shikamaru said.

"Yeah, I got your review."

"It's not my favorite. It's real angsty. I mean, it's well written, but..."

"Yeah, I know... Neji didn't like it much either, but he's not the one who's getting married, so what does he know?"

"Wait, you're really getting married?"

"Yeah, didn't you get my email?"

"I thought you were joking! When's the wedding?"

"In three weeks... it's like a shotgun wedding, except I'm not pregnant. I don't know what the hurry is, but they'll call it off if I find somebody else... Shikamaru, will you marry me?"

"Hinata, it's a drag, but I'm far too gay... anyway, Chouji might get jealous."

Hinata sighed. "Well, it was worth a shot. I'm going to go let Mom tell me how to use birth control..."

Shikamaru shuddered; he had met Hinata's mother once, and perfectly understood why Hinata was so afraid of her.

Hinata looked a lot like her mother; which was good, because she sure as hell didn't look like anybody else in her family, and the distinct eyes and her mom's hair were about the only things that kept everyone convinced that she belonged with them at all. She certainly didn't act like a Hyuuga, but this was probably for the best.

"How about this one, with the beadwork?" her mother asked, pulling a dress into the light so they could see it better.

"It's nice," Hinata ventured timidly.

"That's what you've said about every dress we've looked at."

"Because I don't care! Can't I just wear your dress and save us some trouble?"

The woman laughed. "Sweetie, I burned my wedding dress years ago."

"Why?"

"I dunno, I was fighting with your father, who can remember about what, and it seemed like a good symbolic thing to burn."

"Oh..." Hinata pondered this quietly, and her mother went back to looking around the boutique. A few helpful salespersons had rushed to their aid when they first entered, but she had fended them off by threatening to go to the mall and pick out a white-ish prom dress if they didn't back off. She had wanted to be alone with her daughter, and she was beginning to regret it. She spent so little time with the girl that she had forgotten how insanely meek she was, nothing like she had been at her age. It was hard to believe they were related.

"I know that you aren't happy about this marriage, Hinata, but try to make the best of it."

"... but, Mom, I'm not like you and Dad... I don't like arguing. Or standing up for myself at all, really..."

"I know, and that's a problem, but I don't know what to tell you."

"I don't get why you guys did this to me... you two are completely miserable together."

"That's not true." It was. "In our defense, we didn't know that you would be such a pansy when we set this match up. And you have to get married, and since there's nobody around here that you might fall madly in love with, what difference does it make who you marry?"

"Well, I'd rather have a friend than a stranger."

"Remember when you became a ninja? And you were so bummed out because you didn't know anyone on your team? Well, this is kind of like that. You're getting teamed up with someone you don't know, but it doesn't mean you'll be miserable."

"I guess."

"Do you want to try this one with the long sleeves on?"

"Ok," Hinata sighed, taking the dress into the changing room.

"... Um, Hinata..." Her mother sounded awkward through the door. Hinata winced and blushed for good measure. She had known this was coming. "Since you're getting married and all... There are some things..."

"Yeah, Mom, I know what a condom is."

"Good for you. Don't use one."

"... what?"

"The entire point of marrying this guy is to have a kid that you can arrange horrible marriages for and beat the self-esteem out of and all that. Using protection defeats the point... I mean, you don't want to sleep with him any more absolutely necessary."

"...I guess... could you zip this?"

"Sure." Her mother stepped into the little room and pulled up the zipper on the back of the dress. "And, you know, you're a little more lucky than your father and I... because what's important is that it's your kid... the father doesn't really matter. Hint. There, that's pretty."

"I guess..."

"You don't like it?" Hinata shook her head. "Well, all right, take it off, then."

"Well... it'll be kind of fun, being a mother..."

"No, not really. You're not going to like the baby, you're just going to have one because you have to. That's how all arranged-marriage babies are. I didn't really want you."

"... but, after I was born, you realized that you loved me after all, right?" Hinata asked hopefully.

Her mother thought about this for a moment. "Nope."

Hinata didn't say anything to this. There didn't seem to be much she could say. This was why she hated spending time with her mother.

"Come on, Hinata, just pick one... what about a blue one? That'd drive your father absolutely nuts..."

"Actually... I like the one with the extra gauze layers in the skirt... it looks flammable."

Her mother smiled at her appreciatively. Maybe she really was her daughter, after all.