Hinata looked up from where she was tucked under Sasuke's shoulder. His face went blank as he processed what she told him. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised."
Hinata pressed her nose into his shirt. "I didn't want to keep more from you, but I haven't told your parents yet."
Sasuke slid his arms up, circling her closer on the couches they never put back. "Yeah, it's probably smart that you don't until he recovers."
"If." Hinata whimpered.
"Hey, you're supposed to be the positive one." Sasuke nudged her.
"He's sucking it out of me." Hinata closed her eyes. "You all are."
"You'll be alright." Sasuke kissed the top of her head.
Hinata suddenly reeled back to glare at him. "Your father saw the mark on my neck."
Sasuke snorted. "I'll have to start putting them in places that you have covered." Hinata scowled at him. "I didn't do it on purpose."
"I'm not sure I believe that." Hinata relaxed her head back into his shoulder.
Sasuke's thumb slid back and forth on its place over her shoulder. "You're not… never mind."
"Hmm?" Hinata hummed. Sasuke's face became solemn.
"Do you regret this… being engaged to me?" This wasn't the first time asked something like this, but it was the first time that his question confused her.
"Why would I?" Hinata wondered.
"Well, we started this so you could stay, but that also means that the more real this becomes, the hard it will be to leave if you ever wanted to," Sasuke explained. "When you get sick of all the bull shit, and you want to get out, our relationship might make you stay even if you are unhappy. I don't… want that."
An understandable concern, but there weren't a lot of solutions. "What would you prefer?"
Sasuke cracked a smile. "Can I leave with you?"
Hinata giggled. "No. I think your father needs you."
"I'm never going to be…" Sasuke face flattened as he realized that his becoming the sole heir was a real possibility now.
Hinata broke his thoughts, rubbing her hand where it lay on his chest. "That's a lot of ifs we don't have to answer. I'm not planning on going anywhere."
"Alright." Sasuke's arms tightened around her.
Hinata was glad they waited the extra week. Itachi was able to come to the 'family' dinner, and though she didn't want to add stress to Neji's relationship confession. Itachi already knew Lee and wasn't going to be the least bit surprised. Hinata just wanted him to socialize because laying in a bed with his mother, watching him like a hawk, was making him talk like he was already in the grave, and it was starting to make Hinata snap at him.
Sasuke reached past her hip, placing a kiss on her shoulder as he grabbed utensils for the table. Hinata rolled her head back. "Are you going to tell your cousin you have a guest room again?"
Sasuke chuckled as Hinata's face scrunched. "One family bombshell at a time."
"If the guest room is open, can I visit? Mom's trying to kill me." Itachi grumbled from the other side of the counter.
"I'm still mad at you for lying about the shoe thing." Sasuke jabbed the chopsticks at him.
Itachi snorted. "That's what you're mad about?"
Hinata pushed Sasuke to continue working. "I told you he was just staying here to recover."
A smug grin spread across Itachi's face. "You know, you should thank me. Without all the built-up jealousy, Hinata wouldn't have broke off our engagement, and I might be staying here instead of you."
"Don't." Hinata reached across the counter with a wooden spoon. Itachi moved out of range before she could pat him with it.
A knock on the door broke the conversation before Itachi could make it worse.
Hanabi and Lee were quick friends. They spent most of the night so engrossed in their own conversation they ignored the rest of them. Neji was visibly relieved that their quick friendship overshadowed the whole 'secret boyfriend' thing.
Lee was clearly much more affectionate publicly than Neji was used to. Neji went red up to his ears just to have Lee sit beside him and proudly hold his hand while talking. Hinata hoped he got used to it or got the nerve to talk him out of it because Lee was quite the 'force of love' as he put it.
"It's getting late, kid." Itachi looked at his phone. "My driver's coming do you want me to take you home?"
Hanabi whined. "Can't I stay here? I don't have class tomorrow."
Sasuke pointed toward the guest room. "Go ahead."
Hinata shook her head. "My father is not going to like her saying out all night."
"It's not like I don't do it every weekend." Hanabi crossed her arms.
"Excuse me?" Neji asked.
Hanabi waved an arm out. "Are you skipping the fact that Sasuke lives here, and he's offering the guest room?"
Neji's head whipped around as he put it together. Hinata gave Sasuke a look. He shrugged at her.
Wonderful.
Hinata found herself at Fugaku's desk again, filtering through things while he was in a meeting. She was going to send out a scathing email about protocol. There was no way all this ended up on his desk by going through the correct channels because the correct channel was through her first.
Hinata pressed the cap of her pen to her temple as she stopped to read a file.
"Hi, dad?" Her eyes slid up to glare at Itachi as he didn't even bother to knock. "Got the look and everything."
Hinata sighed, letting her face soften. "The director is in a meeting."
"I was looking for you." Itachi sat down. "You weren't in your office."
"My nerves are raw at the moment," Hinata warned him. Itachi sat back, folding his hands on his chest, raising an eyebrow at her. Hinata closed the folder to give him her attention. He was going to push her buttons until he got what he wanted. That's what he was good at. "Yes?"
"I wanted to thank you." Itachi tilted his head. "For doing what dad's been avoiding for years."
That wasn't really a compliment. "Removing you from your position?"
Itachi nodded. "I thought he would get the idea at some point, when I got behind enough or when I got sick enough, but he's too soft when it comes to family. Even if he likes to pretend he's not."
"Unlike you." Hinata countered. "You act soft until it suits you."
An odd grin ran across Itachi's face. "You think it was all an act?"
"I do wonder," Hinata admitted. "You were nice to me because it was in opposition to the director. I was easy to manipulate because I thought you were on my side."
Itachi sighed. "Not giving me a lot of room to defend myself."
"You're not trying." Hinata crossed her arms.
"I'm done fighting." Itachi sat up. "You understand."
"No," Hinata shook her head. "I don't."
"Not yet." Itachi stood up. "I have to go be congratulated for this silly 'promotion,' coming with?" He offered his hand. "I will look that much better with you there."
Hinata was torn. She was being cruel because she was upset with him, but she knew him well enough to know he really did just want her to stand there to make it more bearable. "I have work to do."
"This is work. PR." Itachi motioned his hand out again.
Hinata took a deep breath and got up to take his hand. Itachi smiled at her and pulled her out toward the elevator tucking her hand into his elbow.
"I heard dad saw a hickey." Itachi chuckled as her hand tightened.
Hinata made a small discontented noise as she turned off the alarm on her phone and sat up. Sasuke's sharp breath told her she woke him. He glanced at the time and then try to pull her back into bed. Normally she would let him have five more minutes just to start her morning with a few soft moments of warmth where her brain wasn't awake enough to worry about her day, but she didn't have the time. "I have to be across town this morning."
"Hmph," Sasuke grumbled. "Will you be home for dinner, or should I come to you?"
Hinata rolled her schedule in her head. "Well... today… I'll text you when I know." It was too early.
"Don't schedule anything for Saturday." Sasuke wrapped himself around his pillow.
Hinata got up out of bed and started collecting her clothes for the day. "Why?"
"Just don't." Sasuke's voice was muffled in the fluff. "The blue one."
Hinata turned her head back at him, but his eyes were already closed. She smiled and put back the other dress.
