Sasuke rested his head back in his car, watching people walk by. Maybe he shouldn't be doing this. His conscience was eating at him. He had to know what he should feel.
If anyone asked, he was here to prove his suspicions right, not his conscience.
Sasuke caught sight of what he was looking for. He got out of the car without much plan. He walked up to the short girl with a familiar smile and called after her. "Hanabi Hyuga?"
Hanabi turned to look at him, confused. "Yeah."
Sasuke didn't plan this far ahead. "Do you know Hinata Hyuga?"
Hanabi's expression soured, and her posture became defensive. "Why do you ask?"
He would tip her off if he said he worked with her if they were in on it together. He hesitated for too long, and her face twisted.
"Did she send you!?" Hanabi yelled at him. "You can tell her I don't need her checking up on me. And she can stop sending money. I'd rather work my ass off at part-time jobs than take any more of her blood money."
This little monster was the opposite of Hinata. "You ungrateful brat."
"Excuse me?" Hanabi squawked.
Sasuke felt anger as he remembered Hinata's tears. "Do you know what it's like watching her stare at her phone all day?" He barked. "All she does is work and think about you!"
Hanabi's face was faulted, but she shouted back. "Tell her this is her fault!"
"I did!" Hanabi gaped at him. "I told her that she chose work over family," Sasuke admitted, pointing to himself. The cogs spun in Hanabi's eyes, the confusion, regret, and anger. "I told her she was a selfish piece of shit, and she deserved you hating her." Sasuke's face snapped back with force. "I'm sick of her self-pity. It's annoying."
Sasuke didn't expect someone so small to have a solid right hook. He coughed and put his hands on either side of his nose, hoping she hadn't just broken it.
"You bastard!" Hanabi screeched.
Sasuke put his hand up before she hit him again. "Wait, wait." He coughed again, painfully. "That last part was a lie. I didn't say that."
Hanabi hesitated, her teeth clenched and tears treating to overflow. Now she looked like Hinata.
"I was proving you still care." Sasuke coughed, moving his nose up. It seared with pain. The little shit broke his nose. He could taste blood in the back of his throat.
Anger was in her eyes, but sadness was on her face. "Does she talk about me?"
Sasuke nodded. "Constantly."
"She still works for that bastard, though." Hanabi huffed, still clearly betrayed.
"What did you expect her to do? She had the option to put you through school. She obviously didn't think an over-20-year-old feud would cost her relationship with you." Sasuke would have to say he was convinced begrudgingly. Two assaults were too much for a con. His nose throbbed.
"Do you know what that bastard did to my family?" Hanabi growled.
Sasuke made a face. "That bastard is my father, so I can probably say something worth being pissed about." Hanabi's eyebrows knitted together. "But, it should have stayed with his generation." Would she try to hit him again? "Look, just call her. All Hinata does is work and care for everyone but herself, and it pisses me off." Sasuke knew it didn't make sense when it left his mouth, but it accurately explained his feelings toward her.
Hinata made him mad, and he couldn't really explain why. Maybe fixing this would get him closer to knowing.
"This is her address." Sasuke handed her a slip of paper. "She comes home late."
Sasuke took a breath as she took the note hesitantly. He turned toward his car and left her to contemplate what he said.
God, his nose hurt.
Fugaku jumped as Hinata audibly gasped, nearly dropping her phone. She snagged up her bag. "I'll be right there." She told the other end of the line, scrambling to collect her things from across his desk, where they were looking over documents. "Sasuke-sama's in the ER. His nose is broken." Fugaku looked up from his work. "I am going to go down to do his paperwork. I hope he didn't drive himself." Hinata fired off as she tossed her coat on. "I'll update you when I get there."
Hinata stopped at Lee's desk to give him instructions. A smile spread across Fugaku's face. "He would have been fine. He's an adult. He probably deserved his nose being broken."
Sasuke blinked his eyes through the drugs they gave him to see Hinata lean over him with worry in those big, sad eyes.
"What happened?" Hinata's hand came up. Sasuke flinched back to keep her from touching his face, but she went past to push the hair off his forehead, looking for other injuries. He probably didn't look great. Driving to the hospital wasn't pleasant, with his eyes watering from the pain. "Oh, I have to tell your father you're okay. I ran out."
Hinata pressed her lips together while on her phone. "You really are cute."
Hinata's fingers hovered over the keyboard. "I think I should get you a driver. You are on too much medication."
Sasuke chuckled. Yeah, he would blame that thought coming out of his mouth on the drug, but could he blame them for having it?
"I should tell Itachi-sama to…" Hinata whispered as she typed. "He wasn't even in the office today."
"I don't want to go home," Sasuke rested his head back.
Hinata put the phone down and sighed, looking up at him with a tilt of her head. "You want to come home with me then?" She knew the answer.
Sasuke wasn't going to admit to that, even with his head in the clouds.
Hinata patted her hands on her legs. "Alright, I need to check your paperwork and pick up your medication, and I'll take you back to my place. I'll need someone to pick up your car…" She trailed as she got up.
Sasuke laid back on her couch and closed his eyes. It felt like someone dripped hot oil down his nose. The meds were wearing off.
Hinata fluttered around. Tea and snacks appeared next to him, then a blanket on top of him.
Hinata crouched down next to him to press an ice pack on the side of his face. He slid it to the pain and squinted at her. They stared at each other for a moment. Hinata looked way first. "I should go back to work," Hinata stood up.
Sasuke caught the edge of her skirt. She stopped and looked back. He didn't look at her, and he didn't want her to go.
Maybe the drugs were still affecting him. "I'll tell the director that you need to be looked after."
Sasuke released her, rolling to his side, and closed his eyes. She would be there when he woke up. That's all he needed to know.
