Contrived Flaws

Ch 3: The Meeting

It was ironic, kind of, that they sent him to fetch her.

Why, she couldn't imagine. One look at his face would tell anyone with half of an eye that he couldn't detest her any more if he tried.

He was not as gifted at schooling his emotions as the elder Uchiha. As Itachi's younger brother, he was seldom saddled with any type of responsibility. He was sheltered from clan politics and the pressure of being an Uchiha. He simply frolicked about and played ninja. In truth, it was Itachi that made sure of that. He did not want his younger sibling exposed to the type of life he lived, but Sasuke didn't know that. So instead, he came off as spoiled and arrogant. In fact, he was spoiled and arrogant. He was certain that he was superior to everyone around him, and simply expected they would bow to his wishes. It was not exactly what his older brother had intended.

In any case, he was often wearing a scowl, but this… this was different. He was downright enraged at the Hyuuga heiress, and she hadn't even done anything. She stole a few glances at him as they walked along in silence. The space between them was already filled with the thick air of fury that was rolling off of the Uchiha. Hinata nervously fingered the edge of her coat, she was enormously pleased that her father had conceded on that one small thing: Her clothing. She didn't often express her disdain for dressing up in silky gowns and laborious kimonos, but she certainly felt it. She was a ninja, and female or not, she preferred to dress in clothing that allowed her to move without fear of toppling over. She was immensely more comfortable, in such an uncomfortable situation, than she would've been toddling along in a dress.

The weather seemed to agree with the incensed Uchiha's mood; It was ominously grey, with dark, wispy clouds that looked like giant fingers, scattered about the sky, mingling with larger, pregnant ones. The air was heavy with moisture already, and the wind was whipping the frigid winter air around. Hinata wondered how long the clouds would hold until they burst forth with rain. Mulling over the weather was all she could do to quell the nervousness that was rapidly building within her. She had no idea how the other Uchiha's would treat her, what they would want to talk about. She hoped desperately that she wouldn't embarrass herself or her family with her usual, less than ideal, behavior.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even realize Sasuke had stopped until he grabbed her roughly by the upper arm and whirled her around to face him. His top lip was twitching slightly, giving him the look of a snarling dog. Hinata's breath caught in her throat, as she suppressed a squeak.

"S-sasuke?" she forced her breath out in a word.

But the Uchiha continued staring at her in disgust, his nostrils flaring, his jaw flexing, his heavy breathing sending puffs of cold air into her face. "Listen closely, I will not repeat myself. You will not, under any circumstances, marry my brother."

The heiress' eyes went wide as Sasuke invaded her space, his face mere inches from hers. His dark eyes bore a threatening look, as if he dared her to disagree. "I-i-i-i," she paused, trying to regain her composure. Unfortunately it had taken a hike, long ago. "I-i don't have a c-ch-choice."

The Uchiha shook her roughly with each word that escaped his tense jaw, "You. Will. Say. No."

Hinata's mind raced, fear consuming her thoughts. She was sure it wasn't entirely irrational, the Uchiha's were strong and intimidating. She swallowed hard, "Y-you're hurting me," she squeaked out.

Sasuke chose to squeeze her arm harder as his onyx eyes bore into her ivory ones, "Do you understand?" he ground out.

It thundered loudly, causing Hinata to jump, but the Uchiha didn't waver, in his gaze nor his grip.

Suddenly, Sasuke was yanked from behind, his grip leaving Hinata's arm; His presence leaving her space. Itachi slammed his younger brother roughly against one of the trees lining the walk to the Uchiha compound, his long, elegant fingers curving around Sasuke's neck. The fear was evident in the younger Uchiha's eyes at being pinned by his brother. It was no laughing matter. Itachi began to speak, his tone was unmistakably threatening, "Hinata is the heiress of a prominent clan, and my future wife, you will show her due respect," his grip tightened as he lifted his younger brother off the ground with ease, "Next time I will not be so lenient."

Hinata looked on in a mixture of shock and fascination as a single raindrop landed on her nose, and then her cheek. Itachi swiftly let go of his brother, who landed on the ground in a heap, coughing and spluttering even as he tossed out profanities.

The weather had gone from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. The skies had opened up and the icy rain was coming down in sheets as Itachi strode over to the Hyuuga heiress, "I apologize for my foolish little brother's behavior, it will not happen again, I can assure you." Hinata noticed that his voice was softer now, but still held an air of detachment, professionalism. He cocked his head slightly, "Are you injured?"

The heiress shook her head in the negative as she gently rubbed her arm. She was certain Sasuke's grip would leave a bruise, but that was the least of her worries at the moment as an unwelcome rush of heat flooded her face. She felt her heart rate quicken ever so slightly under the intense gaze of Uchiha Itachi. It was not the same accelerated heart rate she had felt only moments ago under his younger brother's stare. It was… different, and certainly unexpected.

"Then let us get inside," Itachi continued, motioning toward the compound with a single outstretched arm. It was only now that Hinata realized they were standing only a few meters from the entrance to the Uchiha main house.

Hinata had never set foot inside of the Uchiha compound. She did not have a member of the family on her team, and had never worked with one, so she hardly had reason to. As she was ushered into the front entrance she was greeted by a startling realization: The Uchiha house was nothing like the Hyuuga one.

Where the Hyuuga home was cold and detached, the Uchiha one was warm and inviting. Where the Hyuuga's looked untouched, the Uchiha's was worn and used. The furniture was a mixture of styles and colors, none of which seemed to match. The walls were adorned with pictures and paintings, many of which were of Sasuke and Itachi. The wooden floor was scuffed and scratched, instead of polished and buffed. The rugs faded and frayed, instead of tight and unused.

A smile unintentionally crept across Hinata's face as she took in the atmosphere. It was, in a word, homey. And entirely surprising!

"Oh my dear!" a voice exclaimed, "You're soaking wet!"

Hinata shivered slightly as she suddenly became aware of the state of her body. She was soaked in freezing rain, and the air inside the house was only slightly warmer than outside. A small woman, only slightly taller than Hinata appeared in the entrance. She was lovely, with dark hair and eyes, her bangs falling around her face. "Itachi!" she scolded, "How could you let this happen!"

The heiress smiled wider, "It's al-alright, just a little rain."

The woman turned her attention to Hinata, "My apologies, dear. I'm Itachi's mother, Mikoto. Come, let's get you dried off and warm. Can't have you getting sick, now can we?"

The Hyuuga girl allowed herself to be ushered away by the woman. She couldn't help but immediately like her; The feeling seemed to come naturally. Her voice and touch were soft and kind as she chattered away about the foolishness of her son. Hinata couldn't help but be reminded briefly of her own mother, who had died giving birth to Hanabi. It seemed at first that her father had held it against the younger Hyuuga, but Hinata never did. How could she? It was hardly anyone's fault, she thought. Some things just happened, but it wasn't the first time she longed for her mother's sweet smell and gentle touch. She was like Hinata in so many ways, and it seemed she was the only person who ever truly understood her.

Hinata forced those thoughts away as Mikoto led her into a large bedroom that appeared to be her own. After fishing around in the wardrobe for a few moments, she produced a plain blouse and skirt. Hinata was thankful that the woman appeared to be similar in size to herself.

"I'm afraid as the only woman around here, some of my clothing will have to do."

"Th-thank you, Mikoto-sama."

"Please dear, just call me Mikoto," the woman smiled warmly, handing her a very large, plush towel.

After directing her to a different room to dry off and change, Itachi's mother led her to the main room to get warm by the fireplace.

It turned out that this particular fireplace was the largest the heiress had ever seen. She was certain that at least six of her could stand inside of it. It was already full with a blazing fire of which the heat could be felt quite a few meters away. The heiress was directed to a large plush chair, and ordered to wait while the tea was fetched.

She glanced around, noting once more the lived in feeling of the home. She could imagine Mikoto and her family seated around the fire in the evenings, talking about their day. Or having dinner together, perhaps Sasuke and Itachi fighting over something.

It was something Hinata had never had, that togetherness. The feeling of being loved, the feeling of family. Ever since her mother died she always felt so alone in her home, so detached. Sure, her father and sister were there, and her cousin was only a short walk from the main house, but still, there wasn't that feeling of closeness. Everyone was always going their own way, doing their own thing. Never taking the time to converse with one another, to just be. Instead, everyone was always so serious and demanding. She shivered involuntarily at the thought of her father's cold nature.

"Oh dear, are you still chilled? Have some tea," she heard Mikoto's voice, followed by her form, a cup of tea outstretched in offering.

"Thank you," Hinata replied, noting that her initial apprehension had diminished, and she had no trouble speaking clearly with the woman.

The Uchiha matriarch sat in the chair opposite, that clearly did not match the one the Hyuuga was seated in. She sat properly, but not so stiff that a strong breeze would not sway her.

"Your home is lovely," Hinata spoke up, remembering her manners. She then shook her head and ducked her chin, "I'm so sorry, forgive me. I am Hyuuga Hinata." She laughed awkwardly, "You… you probably knew that, but I forgot," she paused, "To introduce myself."

Mikoto smiled that warm smile again, "Don't worry dear, it's just us girls," she waved her hand dismissively before addressing her earlier comment, "Not as fancy as the Hyuuga home, I would imagine."

"Not as stuffy," the heiress commented bravely.

Itachi's mother broke out in soft, melodic laughter, which reminded Hinata of her own mother's sweet laugh. Her reminiscence was rudely interrupted by the sharp slamming of the front door, causing both women to crank their heads around. Sasuke went stomping by, dripping not only water, but mud. His shoes, which he had not bothered to remove, were leaving grimy prints in his wake.

"Sasuke, honey, what happened?" Mikoto questioned, concern lacing her voice.

"Itachi," he spat out coldly, "Where is he?"

"I'm not sure, dear, but please try not to get mud all over the house."

The younger Uchiha simply growled before taking the stairs two at a time, treading heavily on them in an unnecessarily loud fashion as he went.

"Please excuse Sasuke, he's a bit temperamental at times."

Hinata gingerly sipped her tea before responding, "It's okay, I know how siblings are."

After a few minutes of meaningless chatter about her sister, the weather, and if she was warm now, Mikoto decided to broach the subject she had been summoned there for. "I suppose we should get down to business then, dear." The woman sat her tea down on the small table between them before leaning forward slightly and looking Hinata in the eye, "How do you feel about my eldest son? Do be honest, dear," she smiled reassuringly as she awaited a response.

The Hyuuga girl swallowed nervously, her earlier confidence flying out the metaphorical window, "I…I don't know." She fidgeted nervously with her hands before realizing that Mikoto was waiting on more of an answer, "Like everyone, I know of Itachi-sama, but I do not know him."

The woman nodded, "I suspected as much," she paused, a thoughtful look overtaking her features. "I know that this is all very sudden for you, dear, and that it it's not exactly by choice, but let me be the first to tell you that I think you are far too sweet and kind for my eldest son. None the less, I will be more than happy to welcome you into our family."

Hinata couldn't help the bittersweet feeling at hearing those words. She felt like she was gaining a real, honest-to-goodness family in Mikoto, but she was also gaining a husband. A very cold, detached - not unlike everyone already in her family - husband. The heiress forced a thank you, prompting Mikoto to speak again.

"Itachi can be… difficult at times, but he is a good man, and I hope that you will see that."

The Hyuuga girl nodded, and tried desperately to smile, but instead her face twisted into a bit of a grimace. She suddenly felt the warmth of Mikoto's hand on her shoulder, "I know it's a lot to take in, dear. I will do my best to ease your transition."

A lone tear slid down Hinata's face and dripped off the end of her chin, "Thank you. Itachi-sama and Sasuke-kun are very lucky."

The woman chuckled quietly, "Try telling them that."

This tugged a smile out of the Hyuuga girl as she delicately wiped the moisture off of her face. She glanced up at Mikoto's face, her features were soft, and Hinata bit her lip. She knew what she wanted to ask, but whether it was appropriate or not was still in question.

Well, she knew it was inappropriate, but this woman, Itachi's mother, had made her feel like they were already old friends. She unconsciously edged closer to her seat, she was almost certain she could get by with it.

"What's on your mind, dear?"

The heiress smiled softly, amused that this woman who was a stranger only a short while ago, could read her so well, "I-i was wondering if you know the r-reason for uniting the t-two clans?"

Mikoto shook her head slightly, an apologetic look finding its way onto her features, "I'm sorry. Of course you would think being the head's wife I would, but Fugaku tells me nothing of his plans concerning the clan, and I learned long ago not to push him in that regard."

"O-of course, I'm sorry for asking."

The woman placed a kind hand on Hinata's arm, "Don't be, dear. It's understandable."

Unfortunately, Mikoto had decided it would be a nice idea to invite Sasuke down to join them. Whether this was for Sasuke's benefit, or Hinata's, was unclear, but the Hyuuga girl thought it was a terrible idea. She, of course, kept this bit of information to herself.

The younger Uchiha looked and behaved as though he was being forced at kunai-point to be polite. He was scowling, in between glares - when he thought his mother wasn't looking, of course - and his arms were perpetually crossed, in a rather defensive manner, across his chest. His replies to his mother's questions were short and sharp, never longer than a word spat between clenched teeth.

But Hinata tried, after all, she was practically raised to deal with these types of situations. She was trained to play the game, to be polite. She was trained to pretend that the other person was the most exceptional person in the room, no matter how they were treating her.

She was trained, yes, but her execution left a lot to be desired. Instead, she came off as weak and startled, bearing a deer-in-the-headlights look whenever Sasuke would catch her gaze. Her polite attempts at conversation were riddled with stammering and downright stumbling over her words as she tried to pretend that the young Uchiha was not sending her death glares every few minutes.

It was only when Mikoto was called away, that he became interested in talking. "Remember what I said," he threatened, brandishing a kunai from his hip pouch and twirling it between his fingers. It was obvious he was trying to look menacing, but he simply couldn't hack it next to his older brother. None the less, Hinata was mildly disturbed.

"Don't be such a twit," came Itachi's voice. He poked his younger brother in the forehead as he passed in front of him. Sasuke retaliated by slicing at him with his kunai, but Itachi easily caught his brother's wrist and gave him a pointed look before releasing it.

"My mother has sent me to tell you that she regrets that she has other matters to attend to, but has enjoyed her time with you," he said, turning his attention now to the heiress.

"Tch, stupid old woman," Sasuke muttered, picking at the wooden arm of the chair he was seated in, with his weapon.

Hinata watched closely as Itachi's jaw tightened. He seemed highly irritated at his younger sibling's comment, but chose to keep it to himself.

"P-please tell her thank you, and that I-i enjoyed speaking with her," Hinata felt the nervous bubbling of her stomach multiply at the prospect of being stuck in this room with two stoic Uchiha brothers. She let out a laugh, which came out as a single, high pitched note, "I-i guess I sh-should be going the…then." She jolted at the sudden clash of thunder that sounded off.

Itachi's gaze remained fixed on the heiress as a burst of lightening flashed through the windows, "I'm afraid that won't be possible." The timing of the lightning, which danced menacingly across his face, and his words, was impeccable.

Hinata blinked, and briefly wondered if she had gotten herself trapped in one of those horror movies that Neji liked to make her watch. She then mentally scolded herself for being so silly. "W-what?" she voiced her concerns aloud.

"Your father would not appreciate if I sent you out in such a winter storm," he explained, "You will remain here until it passes." Without waiting for her reply, and certainly not her consent, the Uchiha fetched a book from another room and gracefully positioned himself in a plush chair slightly farther from the fire.

"Well, I'm outta here," Sasuke chimed before stalking out of the large room.

The heiress gripped the arms of her chair tightly, she could not think of anything more awful than being stuck inside a house with her fiance at that moment. She knew attempting to converse with him would be disastrous and he hadn't even offered her anything to read. She fleetingly considered an escape attempt, and then smiled bitterly at the thought of feeling like a prisoner. But that's what she was right? She was simply told what to do every which way she went, with hardly a say in the matter. In fact, she would probably have more choices if she were a prisoner. She stared numbly into the fire, watching its flames flicker and dance, a few sparks breaking free and escaping forever. She supposed that maybe it was her fault. She had always been so undecisive as a child, always unsure. She hadn't minded so much back then having her decisions made for her. It was a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders, having the choices taken away. And maybe everyone had gotten so used to ordering her around that they forgot that she had a mind of her own. But then again, she was an heiress, and she supposed that's what she was around for: To be used to further her clan, and to use others to that end, as well. She was only glad Hanabi would be spared such a fate.

"Are you hungry?" a smooth voice broke through her thoughts. It was quiet and demanding at the same time, causing Hinata to marvel at such a combination.

She glanced up, only to see Itachi still seated, his face in his book. "Huh?" was the only intelligible word that would come out of her mouth.

The Uchiha heir's gaze jumped up to meet hers, "I said, 'Are you hungry?'"

"O-oh, no… no thank y-you. I-I'm f-fine."

She instantly regretted her decision as Itachi gave a "Very well," and resumed reading his book. She wondered if he was ignoring it, or simply oblivious to the blatant tension she felt. She settled for nervously examining each of her fingernails in great detail. They were still cut and polished to perfection from her birthday. How things had changed since she first awoke that fateful morning.

She knew she wanted to change her mind, but was unsure if she could muster up the courage to do so. After all, she had only initiated conversation with the Uchiha once, and hadn't that gone well? In the end, it took her five tries before she managed; Five 'Itachi-sama's' died in her throat before the sixth one made it out.

This had not gone unnoticed by the heir, and even as he appeared engrossed in his reading, he was observing her closely. He found that he was slightly amused at her discomfort, for she could easily take charge. She was a guest in his home, an heiress. She could practically order him about and he could do little in protest, but instead she was sitting there, fidgeting around like a trapped animal.

"Itachi-sama," it came out as almost an exclamation due to the fact that she forced it out of herself. She immediately shrank back at the sound of her own voice, "I-i am a little h-hungry now."

The elder Uchiha forced back a smirk as he laid his book facedown on the table in an effort to hold his place.

Eating with her fiance, she found, was no less uncomfortable than sitting in a room with him. Silence still plagued them, and she found herself slightly annoyed at what a ridiculously neat eater he was.

Sure, she was well mannered and could eat the most laborious dishes with grace and dignity, but Itachi, he made eating a sandwich look like an art form.

Of course, as luck would have it, all of her grace and dignity had washed away with the storm, and she was left with little more than her hunger and rapidly failing fine motor skills. Her hands trembled in a nervous mess as she brought her sandwich up to take a bite. She feared that she would miss her mouth altogether if she didn't quell her shaking, and soon. Small, ladylike bites, she reminded herself, as the trip from the plate to her lips seemed to drag on endlessly.

Just when she was surely home free, thunder boomed outside, causing her already frayed nerves to fire in excitement. She jerked and her sandwich ended up back on her plate. Attempting to not look like a complete fool - which she suspected was already a lost cause – she cleared her throat and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Y-your mother is v-very ni-nice," she managed, wringing her hands under the table before she prepared to attempt her sandwich again.

"Indeed," was the only reply she received.

Hinata let out a shaky sigh before grabbing her sandwich in one swift motion and shoving a great deal of it in her mouth.

If Itachi was shocked at her behavior, it didn't show. He was content to eat in silence as he marveled at the heiress' antics. She was certainly not like any other girl he had ever known, that was certain. Still, he was not so sure she was wife material, certainly not head-of-clan material. Yes, her father had been grooming her for just that her entire life, but it seemed she did not fall so easily into her role. And even though he, himself, had been ensuring her protection much of his life, he had never taken any interest in her beyond that.

Even still, he could see something in her, something he admired. Heart.

She displayed possibly the most pure, unadulterated kindness he had ever witnessed and maybe, just maybe, that would fit right in with his plans.

*Sigh* I did the final little tweaky editing in the doc manager here (Won't do that again!) and it messed up when I saved and I had to go back and do it again. I might've missed something, because I didn't patiently read through it again, one can only do that so many times. Instead I just tried to remember what I fixed, so hopefully I didn't miss anything tragic.

For those of you that were wondering about something in Itachi's POV, I tried to give a little glimpse here and there either by his behavior or thoughts, but I don't want to give too much away just yet. Hopefully it's enough to satisfy you for now! :)

Oh, and... I was going to make Mikoto a real witch, but I changed my mind. I hope this was the right decision! :S

Thanks again for reading and the reviews! They're excellent motivation! Keep 'em coming!

If all goes as planned, Chapter Five should be the wedding, but it's not written out yet so we'll see.

Cheers!

...Next Chapter...

"The Rabbit-Shaped Brownies"