Sai waits for Hinata outside with his hand extended, but like many times before, she just gifts him a smile before walking right in front of him.
"My lady," he starts, but Hinata cuts him before he can even try to argue.
"We have already t-talked about this, Sai, there is no n-need."
Sai doesn't pout, but his body language is enough for Hinata to know that he feels like doing it.
Sai takes his bodyguard duties with a responsibility Hinata had thought was meant to mock her at first, but she has learned that Sai is just...
"Yesterday Kiba was wolfing down his dinner and looked just like Akamaru, I thought he would be happy being compared with his beloved companion, but when I told him he looked like a dog he stared at me and told me that I was," he gestures the quotes with his hands, "just fucking dumb." Sai cocks his head, and like many other times, looks at her in search for answers, "I can't say I felt shocked, but I feel like I should have been pissed or something. What do you think?"
"Did you s-say anything back?"
"I meant to, but I think I must have looked confused, because Ino told Kiba to just take the compliment and shut up."
Hinata giggles and brings the bag in her arms to her mouth, in an attempt to hide her smile. Sai looks at her and cocks his head to the other side, "Kiba shouted 'compliment!?' and they started arguing with each other. I must say, Ino understood what I had meant, but Kiba just flat out refused to even entertain the idea of me being nice. He thinks I'm just an asshole."
Hinata knows that Sai tries his best to fit in, but his inability to understand certain social cues is enough to put him in trouble. Especially with a person as competitive as Kiba.
"I'm sure that g-given time he'll come to under-understand you, Sai. Just l-like me."
Sai raises an eyebrow, nods to no one, "I am sorry if I ever said anything that could have been misunderstood."
"Sai, r-really, it d-doesn't matter anymore."
Sai remains silent, and now Hinata is berating herself for saying those things. What did it matter that she thought differently before? He didn't need to know that. Now he knows and he's sulking. Sai may be blunt and 'honest', as Ino likes to put it, but he's not mean. He just doesn't know how to soften his words.
Hinata walks with her head down, worrying about whether she should talk about this with Sai or not, so she doesn't see the two servants walking their way. Doesn't see their faces, doesn't register their presence, which is why when they say the things they say she freezes, caught by surprise.
"Shameful," the man starts as soon as they are getting out of earshot. "Unable to conceive after these many months."
"Useless," the woman agrees.
And Hinata feels the heat rising up to her cheeks. It's not so much the comments they throw her way but the fact that she wasn't prepared. She has heard worse. And she has faced even more back at her own house. She knows how to take them, smile through them, even, but she had let her guards down in here, had forgotten how ruthless people can be, and that's why she's embarrassed.
Her feet move forward out of pure instinct, as she knows showing any signs of weakness in these situations will only fuel more instances like this one. And she doesn't want that.
But Sai is different. Sai is proper and honest and blunt, and his job is to protect her. And he has trouble grasping the workings of the mind and how words can hurt others, but the body doesn't lie. And he has an eye for that. So he lingers on the way Hinata stops ever so slightly, the way she doubts, the way her head raises and stares straight ahead, the way her cheeks get rosy out of frustration and how she finally decides to keep on going. Because she has decided that facing these words is not worth her time.
But Sai is different. So he squares his feet, turns and calls for the servants, "Excuse me." Calm, as always, with a smile in place, as he has taught himself, "you are forbidden to be near Lady Hinata from now on," the servants are surprised and the man is ready to make a scene, "you are also forbidden from speaking whenever you are near the lady."
"Who do you th-"
"Your orders are effective now," Sai's voice is louder now, more menacing without even a change in tone. The man stops mid sentence and looks from Sai to Lady Hinata, weighing them down. He scoffs and raises an eyebrow.
Sai can read the confidence in his posture, "I am fully sanctioned to give orders by Lord Naruto himself, if you have any complaints you may take them with him."
The servants freeze on their spot.
"Well, then, I better not see you near the lady ever again."
Hinata doesn't know what comes over her, but maybe it's the fact that Sai has now been witness to a shameful part of herself, unable to stand up to servants who are obviously looking down on her, or the knowledge that Naruto has given the people who take care of her all the power they need to protect her that makes her feel choked up and embarrassed all at once.
Sai catches up to her and Hinata walks without looking back, she whispers a thank you that somehow Sai hears. He shrugs it off, in pure Sai fashion, and as if nothing happened he talks about the last dish he cooked and how and why he thinks it might have failed.
⁂⁂⁂
Naruto is about to explode, his father notices. It has nothing to do with the usual reasons though. No long meetings, no days in which rest is scarce, no injury that prevents him from exercise or pains him in daily life. It's both endearing and worrisome to know that he can get this riled up about the matter.
Minato has spent years upon years teaching and educating Naruto in the powers words can have over him. Since his teenage years Naruto has had no trouble controlling himself. Getting annoyed, sure, but a nudge, a look, a well meaning advice is enough to snap him out of it. Let him know he's in the fringe of his control.
The clan, more than anyone, knows of Naruto's struggles. Know specifically that Naruto has a controlled temper, but when angry can and will stand his ground. And yet... and yet...
Naruto practically snarls, "Are we ever getting something out of this meeting or are you all just gonna circle around this topic for another hour?"
Minato nudges, looks, stares even, but Naruto ignores him completely, and Minato keeps his face straight out of pure practice.
"You must understand, my lord-"
"I have already said my piece. I will not, under any circumstance, allow a concubine in here. End of discussion."
"Given that we have yet to see even a mere suspicion on a pregnancy from the current lady-"
Naruto's hand comes hard down to the floor. Everyone flinches and some look even embarrassed. Naruto's voice is controlled, to everyone's surprise.
"The current lady," he spits, "is the only one you're getting, so shut it about anything that doesn't concern having her as my wife or the mother of my children."
And old man, whose face looks more like crumpled and wet paper, frowns, "We understand your reticence to having a concubine, but you must understand-"
"We either start talking about the Summit or I leave," as if his words aren't enough, he grabs the papers resting in front of him with women's information and throws them at the center of the circle, where they scatter without order.
"My lord…" a man starts, but is soon interrupted by another, who sighs deeply before signaling to an assistant to bring another set of papers.
"All current Beast Tamers will be present," he shares as he smooths out the papers in his hands.
Naruto nods, but his face keeps the look of disgust throughout the meeting.
⁂⁂⁂
Hinata waits for him in their bedroom. With practiced ease she helps Naruto disrobe when he enters the room, with confidence built over time she uses her technique and releases his chakra points and with a familiarity she has come to love, they talk about their days.
Hinata does not share her insecurities or the whispers that surround her regarding her inability to conceive. And Naruto wishes he could do the same, if only those talks were something he alone had to endure, he would. But Sai has shared with him what Hinata has faced.
There is a silence and Naruto wedges the topic in, "Sai talked with me, uhm…"
Hinata bites her lips and looks to the ground, "You d-don't have to worry about it… please."
"I will make sure no one can say anything to you, all right? You don't… please, don't worry about it."
He looks at her with unguarded eyes, and Hinata knows Naruto doesn't share the same insecurities as those servants. Knows for him this is not a topic yet.
But it's the uncertainty of when this will become a problem that fills her with dread. Naruto gets close to her, hugs her and starts a series of kisses that Hinata welcomes.
Her mind is blissfully shut down and only Naruto's caresses register. His breath, his hands, the way his skin touches hers. Everything is familiar and calming. Naruto undresses her slowly, showers her bare skin with kisses that leave her breathless.
"Don't worry about it," Naruto whispers, and Hinata wants to laugh, because what is there to worry about when she's in his arms?
Her legs open and Naruto enters her with a desperation that makes her roll her head backwards. He thrusts with a rhythm they know by heart and Hinata can't think.
She feels himself spilling inside, feels his body pressing on top of hers. Her hand clasp behind his neck and she brings him closer, impossibly closer to her.
As they've spent countless nights together, they have learnt to let go of their inhibitions and Naruto is more open about his wants. "Again," he whines, still inside of her and Hinata blushes.
Naruto pulls out, sits on his heels and stares. Hinata feels herself grow excited, her legs tremble in anticipation and her hands cross in front of her chest in embarrassment. His seed starts dripping and Naruto comes closer, kisses her knees.
He throws his robe away without a care and covers her body with his. He breaths her in but this time it's Hinata who kisses and searches for him. His body is firm and taut, hard with muscle and Hinata can't help her fascination as her hands roam around. When she feels him hardening again she pumps his erection.
Naruto drags his tongue down her body and then turns her around. The bedclothes bite at her face and the hands that caress her buttocks make her moan to the air.
Naruto takes his time, teases Hinata by moving his erection against her bum. She whines and brings her hand to him, grabs his thigh and drags her nails. Naruto enters her and lets himself sit there a moment. Her body beckoning him to move.
The air is filled with the scent of sex and Naruto's movement fills the room with the clapping of his body agains his wife. Hinata's back shines with perspiration and Naruto doubles over to rest his face between her shoulder blades. Her hands are fists that grab whatever she can and as he dives closer her abdomen comes flat into the ground. Her entrance becomes tighter and Naruto stops thinking for a second, as he pulls out and thrusts as hard as he can.
His hands try to grab Hinata's hips, but the position forces him to rest his forearms around her. Hinata grabs his arm and brings him closer to her, his hand finds her shoulder and he anchors himself. He rests his forehead against her, looks down and watches himself disappear between her posterior. He is mesmerized by the way his body presses into her, makes her flesh quiver. He comes as he feels Hinata pressing against him, her legs and fingers stretching in search for relief.
They lay there, sweaty, panting and with their bodies tangled with each other. Naruto is the one that stands up and grabs a towel to clean Hinata, the moment he is done he wipes his own member and steals a kiss from her. He cocoons her in his arms and drapes the bedclothes over them. Hinata feels his penis against her, half-hard against her back. Naruto leaves a trail of kisses at her neck, and the back of her head. He finds sleep soon after.
Hinata lays there, awake, trying her best to think about the pleasure she was feeling not long ago. But the night is silent and Naruto's arm around her flat stomach is enough to remind her that there is no child inside of her.
The comments do not bother her, the comments do not bother her, the comments do not bother her. It is not the comments of people she doesn't care about that bother her. It's herself. Herself and the tiny voice that comes to her when there is silence that tells her that there really isn't much of a surprise here. Nothing has ever come easy to her, why would this be any different?
She places her hand over Naruto's arm, snakes her hand to touch her stomach. She stares at the single strand of light that managed to enter their bedroom and she wishes.
She wishes for herself to stop failing at everything.