Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.
Special Thanks: goes out to wolf-enzeru, Sachiko Heiwajima, MuffinMan9223, OroKashii, DivineGlory, Toadettegirl2012, XxMelony-kunXx, Break Blade, Tamani, Melanieciel, CrimsonNight41, Dani Stark, Scuba Sqwerl, rao hyuga 18, and SasukeXhinataXOC for all your reviews! Also thanks to everyone who's added this to their favorites and follows lists!
Author's Note: This chapter begins the part where Sasuke and Hinata really start to have encounters on a regular basis. There'll still be a chapter here and there where there might not be a lot of interaction between them, but from here on out there will be a lot. Also in this chapter, Hinata gets to meet Ninja! I've been looking forward to introducing the two... Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy!
*~Chapter XV~*
~Visitation~
Hinata was not, in any way, shape, or form, a procrastinator. She liked to get things done in a quick and efficient manner, not just for her own benefit, but for others' as well.
On Sunday morning, she dragged her feet doing everything.
She even invented some chores which needed to be done immediately, just to put off going to give Sasuke his library cards. She ate breakfast, vacuumed, dusted, mopped the kitchen and bathroom floors, took a shower...
And tried to find something else in her immaculate condo which desperately needed her attention. But Hinata found she'd been an even more industrious housekeeper than usual; everything gleamed with cleanliness. She could even see her reflection in the tops of the end tables. (Perhaps she'd taken her little cleaning spree a wee bit too far, but she did not want to have to go face down Uchiha Sasuke on his home turf.)
With nothing left to occupy her, Hinata packed the last of Tenten's boxes into Old Sensible and took off. After rolling the windows down, she turned on the radio and took the scenic route to Neji and Tenten's new place. Using the spare key Tenten had given her, Hinata unlocked the door when she arrived and carried in the handful of boxes she'd brought. She took extra care to arrange them just so, in order of size and weight with the others sitting around, before locking up and leaving.
Hinata felt a little ashamed of her sudden yellow streak. As she turned into Sasuke's driveway - mouth dry, palms slick with sweat, and heart pounding so hard she thought it'd jump right out of her throat - she fought the urge to whip the car around and burn rubber as she peeled away. She caught peekaboo glances of the massive Uchiha manor between the trees. When the driveway abruptly led into a clearing, Hinata actually jumped.
From a distance, the house looked creepy. Up close, it looked like it possessed character. Though obviously old, it was a marvel of architecture, with wide front doors, a wraparound porch, a pointy-roofed tower with a widow's walk, and beautiful china-white pillars with a lovely ivy design. She even spotted a couple of stained glass windows!
She parked in the semi-circular driveway at the base of stone steps leading up to the spacious porch. As soon as her foot hit the herringbone-patterned brick at the top, she heard a dog - what sounded like a very big dog - start barking. She froze.
While she stood there trying to decide whether or not to cross the porch to the front door and knock, or turn and make a run for it, the front door abruptly opened. Framed in the doorway stood a tall, blonde, obviously fit woman who looked vaguely familiar. For a moment the two women regarded each other in mutual surprise.
Around the woman's hip, the head of a big black dog appeared, ears pricked, nose twitching, eyes narrow. He grumbled deep in his throat, the sound originating in his chest and gaining in volume until it exploded in a series of ferocious barks.
Hinata clenched her hands into fists around the straps of her purse, wondering if the blonde at the door was going to sic the dog on her. She wanted to tell the woman she wasn't trespassing, honest; she just wanted to give Sasuke his library cards. But her mouth wouldn't open, and her very dry tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth.
At last the blonde blinked once, disinterestedly, and laid her hand on the head of the still-barking dog. "Sasuke!" she called over her shoulder. "I think your girlfriend is here."
Heat flooded Hinata's face as she heard a familiar, irritated voice call from somewhere deep in the house (but coming closer by the word), "Temari, for the sake of all that's holy, how many times do I have to tell you I don't have a-"
Sasuke came into view from behind the blonde and the barking dog. He stopped dead. His eyes darted from Hinata, to the dog, to the blonde, and back to Hinata again. A hint of color washed across his cheekbones as he flexed his hands twice at his sides. "Ninja, quiet, it's all right, she's a-" he hesitated, a strange expression crossing his face "-friend," he finished.
Ninja? Hinata looked around for some stereotypical black-masked, gymnastic assassin (perhaps he employed bodyguards?). But as if in response to the order, the big black German shepherd immediately fell silent. Tongue now lolling, tail wagging, he watched Hinata with bright brown eyes as if to ask, Did you bring me treats and toys?
Shocked at the complete reversal of the dog's personality, Hinata blinked warily and wondered if Ninja (at least, she assumed that was the dog's name) thought humans were toys. It would be just about par for the course, considering her luck recently (or, rather, lack thereof).
Laughing, the blonde turned on her heel and passed by Sasuke, patting him on the shoulder on her way past. Scowling, Sasuke came up to the door and stared at Hinata, his arms crossed over his chest. "What are you doing here?" As if picking up on his master's body language, the German shepherd at his side became watchful again.
Hinata bit back the urge to point out Sasuke didn't have any No Trespassing signs posted anywhere along the driveway between the road and the house, and besides, she was only trying to do something nice. Clearing her throat, she twisted her fingers nervously around her purse straps, and said, "You left without your library cards the other day. I-I've been meaning to get them to you, but my best friend married my cousin yesterday, you see, so it's been a very busy week, and I just didn't have time to drive out here, but I did have time today, and-" She shut her mouth with a snap, realizing she'd just been blathering on in one long run-on sentence. And to an author, no less!
Sasuke arched one skeptical eyebrow, as if wondering if she told the truth. Realizing she had nothing visible to corroborate her story, Hinata quickly reached into her purse and pulled out the two colorful library cards: one for his wallet and the other for his keychain. "Here," she said, holding them out toward him. Swallowing hard, she added in a small voice, "I owe you an apology, too. I, um, majorly over-reacted when I saw who you really were, and I- I'm really sorry I blew my top at you like that."
Ninja must have picked up on some nonverbal cue from Sasuke because his tail started wagging once more. He looked up at his master as if to ask if the cards were toys for him. Shaking his head, the dark-haired human closed the gap between them to reach out and take the library cards, his long, pale fingers brushing hers in the process. Hinata wondered if he felt the same jolt of electricity up his arm as she did in hers.
"Thanks," Sasuke said. He stared down at the cards for a minute, then tucked them into the pocket of his khaki cargo shorts. He glanced over his shoulder, toward the depths of the house into which the blonde had disappeared, then said, "Listen, I - really appreciate this." A trace of color rose to his high cheekbones. "I just threw some burgers on the grill, and Temari makes a pretty good potato salad. Would you - like to stay for lunch?"
Again, Hinata felt heat explode across her cheeks. "Oh, no!" she said quickly. "I don't want to interrupt you and your girlfriend's-"
She stopped when Sasuke abruptly threw back his head and laughed, so hard he had to grab his sides. "Oh, that's a good one!" he chortled, shaking his head.
"What?" Hinata asked, feeling a little defensive and a little offended.
Halfway sobering, Sasuke stared at her with amused eyes and a half-grin which made her traitorous heart do a happy little jig. "Temari is most definitely not my girlfriend," he told her frankly. "And I think my brother would kill me if she were. She's my sister-in-law. And don't worry. You're not interrupting anything."
Something tight and hot unwound in Hinata's chest. She felt surprised to realize she was relieved to find out the tall, athletic-looking blonde wasn't Sasuke's girlfriend. Or wife. Or - other sort of clandestine romantic interest.
"All right then. I-I'll stay. Thank you." At his inviting gesture, Hinata stepped past Sasuke into the house, then edged past Ninja, who still watched her expectantly, his teeth looking really big, and white, and sharp - and slipped off her shoes. She cast a quick look around the expansive foyer. "Your house is really beautiful," she said.
"Thanks." Sasuke closed the door and glanced around the entryway, which was filled with warm woods and beautiful paintings, crowned by a gorgeous crystal chandelier. "My ancestors were actually Japanese, but one of them was kind of obsessed with Victorian architecture. So we got this old house out of the deal." He waved a vague hand around. "It's got - character, I suppose you'd say."
Hinata followed Sasuke down the long interior hall past several doors - some open, some closed - hearing Ninja's nails click-click-clicking against the wooden floor as he trailed after them. The hallway opened into a large, spacious living room, done in strong reds and blacks, with white accents. Two katana hung crossed over the fireplace mantle; a big flat-screen television hung on one of the walls, accompanied by several framed pieces of art (several Oriental-looking paintings and scrolls; a portrait of a pre-teen Sasuke along with a man, woman, and teenager who looked a lot like him; and a blown-up poster of his book jacket cover like the one at the library); expensive yet tasteful leather furnishings; and a massive Oriental rug with a sprawling gold dragon against a background of - surprise, surprise - red and black.
Instead of stopping, Sasuke led them across the living room, then slid open a glass door and stepped out onto a exspansive back deck. Ninja shot past his master and ran down the steps, where he joined a little girl of about five in the yard. The two rolled around together in the grass, the girl laughing, the dog barking joyfully.
Sasuke caught her questioning glance. "My niece Karura," he said. "I'll call her over in a bit to introduce you."
Hinata hesitated in the doorway, watching as Sasuke lifted up the lid of a big, gleaming grill. Fragrant smoke filled the air, and she inhaled the delicious smell of cooking burgers. It had been a very long time since she'd last been to a cookout; her mouth suddenly started to water.
A sound from her left made Hinata turn in that direction. She came face-to-face with an older version of the teenager in the portrait inside. He sat on the bench of the picnic table, his back propped against the tabletop. The blonde from the front door sat next to him, hand shading her eyes as she watched her daughter and the massive dog.
"That's my brother Itachi and his wife, Temari," Sasuke told her as he smoothly flipped burgers. "Itachi, Temari, this is Hinata, the local librarian. She's done a lot to help me with research on my next book - and at the appearances I'm making at the library."
At the (undeserved) praise, Hinata blushed again. She was starting to feel like she had a permanent sunburn or something. "I haven't done that much," she murmured.
Temari smiled at her. "Don't be modest," she said. "To get that grump out of his funk, you must have some sort of amazing gift. I commend you, Hinata."
Just then, the reason why Temari looked so familiar struck Hinata. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. She breathed, "You're Temari. Sabaku Temari, the greatest tennis player in the world!"
Ducking her head, Temari waved one hand and laughed with obvious embarrassment. "I'm not the greatest tennis player in the world," she said. "And I wasn't, even before I retired." She looked up at Hinata and smiled slightly. "Besides, I'm not actually Sabaku Temari anymore. I'm Uchiha Temari now." She glanced at Itachi, her smile turning warm and intimate. "Am, and have been for the past eight years I wouldn't trade for anything."
Hinata allowed her gaze to slide away, feeling like she'd just witnessed something intensely private. Her eyes settled on Sasuke, who stood watching her with an odd little grin on his face. When he saw her looking at him, he tilted his head toward the open cooler next to her, which was filled with ice and had the caps of several bottles sticking out. "Help yourself to something to drink. There're water and several different kinds of pop in there."
Accepting with a murmured thanks, Hinata pulled out a fizzy drink with a red cap and took a long, refreshing sip. Cradling the cold, sweating bottle in both hands, she watched as Sasuke opened the lid of the grill and checked the burgers again. It was something surprisingly normal for him to do.
She reflected with a good deal of bemusement that he lived in a beautiful house, had a brother, a famous sister-in-law, an adorable niece, and a big teddy bear of a dog.
It was all shockingly ordinary.
Maybe, she thought, maybe he's actually human after all.
Sasuke caught Hinata watching Ninja out of the corner of her eye for the sixth time during the meal. Taking pity on her, he cleared his throat and said, "You know, he won't hurt you. Failing an aggressive move on your part, he needs a distinct command from me in German to attack. And since I told him you're a friend, the worst he'll do is lick you to death."
Hinata glanced at Sasuke while he was talking, then turned back to Ninja. "I'm not afraid of him anymore," she said with a smile. "I was just wondering if he's allowed to have food off the table. He keeps watching my food go from my plate to my mouth, and he's drooling."
A look confirmed it. Ninja sat only a few feet away from Hinata, his dark eyes trained on the woman's food, saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth. His food and water bowls sat next to the staircase down to the yard, within easy reach, but he studiously ignored them. Obviously, he sensed a weakness in the pack, and he was hoping for some handouts.
Jiraiya was particularly bad about it. That's what got Ninja started in the first place.
"He's not technically allowed people food," Sasuke told Hinata. "But Jiraiya, my agent, tends to sneak him bites off the table when he comes here. Since he recently visited..." He shrugged. "I haven't had a chance to break him of the habit again."
Ninja shot Sasuke an offended look, then got up and trotted over to sit next to Hinata. He pricked his ears and tilted his head to the side, offering her his best "I'm so cute, feed me!" look. Sasuke had managed to become immune to it when Ninja was still a puppy, but he found the look worked wonders on his guests.
Predictably, Hinata melted. "He's so adorable!" After wiping her hands on her napkin, she reached out to rub the top of Ninja's head. He rested the side of his face against her leg, eyes rolling upward in obvious ecstasy.
"Another thing about him - once he finds out you're a friend, he turns into a giant puppy." Sasuke sighed and shook his head, but couldn't help smiling fondly. "Ninja's something else, but I wouldn't trade him for the world. He's been my companion for several years now, and I really can't imagine life without him."
"I've been thinking about getting a dog." Hinata scratched Ninja's chest, and one of the dog's hind legs began to thump loudly against the deck. "Now that Tenten - that's my roommmate - has moved out, it's really rather quiet. I'm thinking about a smaller dog, like maybe a Shiba Inu. There's not a whole lot of room in my condo, so I can't get too big a breed, but I still want a dog that's good at guarding. And not yappy, like a Chihuahua or something like that."
Temari licked some ketchup off her index finger. "I know someone who has a Chihuahua," she said. "Little thing never shuts up."
"And it bites, too," Itachi added. "We're fast enough to dodge, but we can never take Karura with us to visit. It hates adults, but it especially seems to despise kids."
"I want a dog like Ninja," Karura said. She grinned widely when the dog reacted to his name and went to sit next to her, his pink tongue working quickly to lick mustard and ketchup off the girl's face. Sasuke's niece laughed, turning her head this way and that - though whether to get away or offer Ninja a better angle, Sasuke wasn't quite sure.
"German shepherds are great dogs," Sasuke said. He took another bite of potato salad and then swallowed before continuing. "They're extremely loyal and good guard dogs, but they're also great with kids. They know when to be on their guard, but they're also quite keen about the right time to let the softer, more nurturing sides of their nature be more prevalent, too."
"I have to admit, when I first saw Ninja I was scared to death of him," Hinata said. She took another sip of her drink and shook her head. "I thought sure he was going to eat me. But now he's like a totally different dog. Now it's almost like he thinks Karura is his puppy or something."
"If you're on the property, and you're a friend, he'll protect you," Sasuke told Hinata proudly.
The group fell into silence again for a while as they ate. Finally, Hinata pushed her mostly-empty plate away and looked at Temari and Itachi. "If you don't mind my asking," she began hesitantly, "how did you two meet?"
Temari smiled crookedly. "The old familiar question," she said wryly. "If I had a dollar for every time we've been asked that-"
Sasuke laughed. "You're already rich, Temari."
"Good point." Temari tilted her head toward her husband. "First off, do you know what Itachi does for a living?"
At Hinata's headshake, Itachi cleared his throat and spoke up. "For three generations, my family has run a very successful bodyguard service. It's been passed down from father to son, starting with my grandfather, and now I've got it. With each generation, it's gotten even bigger."
"And more lucrative," Sasuke added. "Trust me, Hinata, they've got some pretty high-profile clients. Without naming names, they protect people from the entertainment industry, pioneers in the technology field, and athletes."
"The first and last make up most of the numbers," Itachi said. "Even though I'm the head of the company, I'm not the sort of person who asks my employees to do something I'm not willing to do myself. So when an urgent request for a bodyguard landed on my desk, I decided to take on the job myself."
"Several years ago, while I was at the French Open," Temari picked up the story, "I was attacked on the way out of Roland Garros after my quarterfinal match. I wasn't hurt, but my current bodyguard was badly injured. My coach had heard of Itachi's company before, and called in a request to get a new bodyguard out as quickly as possible."
Sasuke had been watching the French Open that year, mostly as research for a novel he was thinking about writing, and he'd seen live coverage of the attack on Temari. It wasn't something he'd ever forget - especially since she wound up as his sister-in-law not too terribly long after that.
"My best employees were already out in the field, and since an attack had already taken place, I didn't want to take any chances," Itachi added. "So I handed over the task of managing the business to my very capable second in command and caught the next plane to France."
"Itachi was waiting for me by the time I woke up the morning after the attack." Temari paused to take a drink, then slid a sly glance at her husband before going on. "To his credit, he was always the consummate professional. But I felt an instant attraction, and he did, too. He protected me in more ways than just physically. It wasn't long before Itachi had to reassign himself so we could pursue a relationship."
Hinata nodded slowly. "I remember seeing that on television," she told Temari. "My roommate and I both love tennis, and we were watching when you were attacked. It had to have been terrifying. I don't think I would have been able to react as calmly as you did."
Temari shrugged self-deprecatingly, staring down into the last inch or so of liquid left in her tea bottle. "All of us go through a certain degree of training to be ready if something like this happens," she said. "Especially after that one famous ice skater, as well as another top notch female tennis player, were attacked, a lot of coaches across several sports decided their athletes had better be ready in case it happened again." The corner of her mouth twisted wryly. "To be honest, though, I was terrified. Especially after Baki was injured - it really shook me up."
"At first, she didn't even want me to protect her," Itachi said. He cupped his hand around the back of his wife's neck and massaged gently. Sasuke bit back a sarcastic comment about getting a room; one that was, preferably, not in his house. "She was so afraid I'd get hurt, too," Itachi finished.
"Baki was all right, eventually, and the culprit was immediately arrested. But I never, ever wanted someone hurt in my place. I think that's what shook me up more than anything." Temari reached up with her free hand to touch her husband's on the back of her neck. "Especially considering the instant attraction I felt to him. There was no way I wanted him hurt."
"I finally talked her into letting me stay," Itachi said. "And the rest, I guess you could say, is history."
During the conversation, Karura had left the table. Her shrieking laughter and Ninja's happy barks returned the sense of lightheartedness to the serious atmosphere at the table.
Reaching out, Temari started stacking plates. "Why don't you give Hinata a tour of the house, Sasuke? Itachi and I will clear the table and do the dishes." She tilted her head so the librarian couldn't see her face and winked at Sasuke.
He bit back the urge to growl at her like Ninja, made worse by the fact Itachi was obviously entirely on board with his wife's plan. Sighing quietly to himself, Sasuke stood and looked down at Hinata, who looked like she wasn't sure whether to agree or make a run for it. "I'm not hiding any chainsaws or ancient racks in there, you know," he said. "I promise, my house is really rather ordinary."
A very attractive pink brushed her cheekbones, and Sasuke rolled his lips to keep from laughing. "Come on. I promise I don't bite." Ignoring Temari's teasing addition of, "Much," he held out his hand to her, patiently waiting for her to take it so he could help her up and guide her inside.
For a moment Sasuke thought sure Hinata was going to shout a very resounding, "No!" But she surprised him by sliding her delicate pale hand into his and nodding. "I'd like a tour. Thank you."
Will wonders never cease? Curling his fingers around Hinata's, Sasuke led her across the deck to the back door, their bare feet making little noise on the wooden floor.
The second he slid open the door and they stepped inside, the air conditioning gave them instant relief from the heat and humidity outside. If Sasuke wasn't mistaken, they'd have another storm before the evening was over. "Obviously, this is the sitting room." He pointed out the paintings on the wall and gave a brief description of the story behind each, but skipped over the poster of his dust jacket photo. That, besides being self-explanatory, was something she was already familiar with from the library. "And that's Itachi, me, and our parents," he said, glossing over it. He didn't want to talk about it, either.
Hinata seemed to sense his reluctance about the subject, and nodded once. "You've got some amazing things here." She nodded at the katana over the fireplace. "My family is of Japanese descent, as well. My father has several weapons, though he doesn't display them as prominently as you."
Sasuke nodded his head toward the katana. "Many of my male anscestors served as samurai in direct service to the emperor and his family. Those weapons in particular were gifts to the brothers who saved the emperor from an assassination attempt."
"That's amazing," Hinata breathed. "In my case, it's mostly my female ancestors who served. Many of them were handmaidens and companions to the empress and her daughters. As a matter of fact, we have a swatch of fabric which was cut from the emperor's robe - a gift to one of my ancestors from the empress to honor her many years of fine service. There are many other things which belong to the family, but that is our most treasured relic."
"Wow." Sasuke arched his eyebrows, feeling beyond impressed. "That's incredible." A moment passed as they quietly considered the dedication of their ancestors. Then something occurred to Sasuke, and he said on a whim, "I wonder if our ancestors ever met each other. Wouldn't it be something to find out your however-many-times-removed aunt was friends with my however-many-times-removed grandfather, or something like that?"
Hinata tilted her head. "I doubt it," she said with a small, almost teasing, smile. "We're probably hereditary mortal enemies, or something like that."
I hope not! Sasuke swallowed back the response and the strange feelings which came with it, then smiled. "If you're ready, I'll show you the rest of the house."
Nodding, Hinata looked at the katana one more time. "Sounds good."
As they walked out of the sitting room, she added shyly, "If you like, I'll get permission from Father to show you our heirlooms sometime."
Sasuke remembered the many hours of his childhood when he pretended he was one of the strong, brave samurai from his mother's true stories, and smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you." Not just because of the link to his family's heritage, but to spend more time with Hinata. He couldn't deny how attracted he felt to her. While he knew eventually his own painfully shy nature would catch up with him, for now, he decided to enjoy every second of her company.
He'd take everything else from there.
*~To Be Continued~*
Author's Ending Notes: It feels weird, posting a chapter that takes place in the middle of summer when it's just past Christmas and cold outside. Speaking of, I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I adore this chapter, the start of working Sasuke and Hinata's relationship from tense and awkward to something much nicer and more comfortable. They've still got a ways to go, of course, but they've got a good start now! The part where Hinata talks about one of her ancestors receiving a gift of fabric from the emporer's robe is based in truth - I have an honorary grandmother who's Japanese, and she has just such a thing, handed down from her own ancestor. It was so amazing, I just had to work it in to the story! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, that you have a great New Year's, thank you so much for reading, and I hope to see you again for next Friday's update!