Hinata's heels clicked behind Fugaku as she followed him down the hall. It was nice to be in his shadow again, but unfortunately, the moment he was gone, people still thought she spoke for him. She did in a way, but she wanted people to remember she was just a receptacle of information. She wasn't the source. Hinata sat down with him in the conference room and felt her phone vibrate again. Another message she was going to ignore.
Fugaku dug into his breast pocket and checked his phone a moment later, and sighed. "Are you fencing Mikoto's calls?" Hinata side-eyed him. He rejected the call. "You'll regret that."
"If I let her walk all over me, we are going to get behind again. I can't leave every time she wants to shop." Hinata huffed quietly. "And I never want to hear another word about her husband ever again."
Fugaku suppressed a smile as the presentation started. "She keeps you looking nice."
Hinata leaned her head over to him. "You go then."
Fugaku's lips came into a line to keep from laughing at her. Hinata was sick of salon visits and mall trips and looking through wedding catalogs at every café across the city. The ring on her finger was starting to feel like a chain to Mikoto than protection from her.
Lee bounded up to her with his endless energy. "Here are the documents you asked for. Kisame called about the holiday release, 'nothing serious,' he said. Sasuke stopped to find you for lunch, but I told him you left and your coffee." Lee held up a folder and a cup of coffee. Hinata smiled at him. He might be better at this than she was, but the sight of him made Fugaku's blood pressure go up. "And your mother-in-law called… four times."
Hinata sighed. "Thank you, Lee-san."
"Do you plan on calling her back?" Lee wondered.
"Not if I can help it," Hinata disappeared into her office.
Hinata leaned over a contract and rubbed her temple.
"Tired?" Gaara asked her with a tilt of her head.
"No, I'm sorry." Hinata straightened her posture more professionally.
"Headache?" Gaara continued to question.
"No, no." Hinata waved her hand. "I've just had a long day."
Gaara nodded. "We can make another meeting."
"No, I would prefer to get this done today." If Hinata was out of the office, she couldn't be dragged away. If she was late home, Mikoto couldn't catch her for dinner. Of course, that meant that she couldn't have dinner with Sasuke either.
They saw each other less and less since he started back at the office, he would try to stop by for dinner, but his projects needed to catch up, and she spent a lot of her normal lunch hours in social meetings between Fugaku and board members or a CEO. Things she used to skip, but now Fugaku wanted her there, and she wouldn't tell him no.
The only nice thing at the end of the day was crawling into bed with Sasuke. Even though something had been bothering him, and he still wasn't ready to tell her, he would curl into her at night, and it washed away some of the daily annoyances.
It was nice to have someone just… be with her.
Gaara sighed. "Well, then, we are going to be here a while. I'll order dinner."
Hinata came into the home office to put a bag on the desk Sasuke was at. "Are you working?" She teased.
"No." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Online shopping." He got into the bag. "What's this?"
"I had Lee-san pick you up the products you did the marketing for. I thought you would like to see them." Hinata lowered her head to kiss his cheek before disappearing down the hall.
Sasuke rolled the product in his hand. Hinata thought of everything, but that was the problem, wasn't it?
Hinata returned shortly after, wrapping her arms around his shoulder to see what he was scrolling through. When she found nothing of interest, she laid her head down on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Mom get to you today?" Sasuke wondered.
"The director had me in three business meals. I just want a meal without it being a social obligation." At least she was eating. "And I'm looking back more fondly for the days your parents didn't like me. Cold shoulders and spiteful glares made my days much quieter."
"You going to get a break this weekend?" Sasuke turned his head to her.
"If your mother doesn't rope me into something, I'm sure she will try. Her husband is back in Europe. I think she gets lonely." Hinata lamented. "Maybe we should get her puppy to occupy her when he's out of town."
Sasuke snorted. "Why would you abuse a dog like that."
"If it can just suffer being put in little outfits and being carried in a purse, I think it would be the most spoiled pet in the world." Hinata lazily opened her eyes. "… But what kind of dog?"
"Stop trying to solve problems." Sasuke closed his browser. Hinata released him so she could get up. "What happened to your hair?" He chuckled at the puff of kinks and curls.
"I had it up. The hairspray your mother gave me is stronger than what I had. It will wash out." Hinata slid her hands over it. Her face dropped. "My phone is ringing. Give me a minute." Hinata padded out to the other room, and her shoulders popped back up, and she willingly answered, must not be his mother. "Do you want to meet Itachi-san?"
Did he want to? No, but spending time with Itachi would make her take a break, even if it meant he couldn't have her to himself for the night. Sasuke shrugged.
Itachi accepted a fruity something from Hinata as she handed out their drinks. He sipped it. It was overly sweet, but that's what he was expecting. He held it out to Hinata. She took a sip and made a face, unsure of it, but her face settled to a decision that it wasn't bad, and she returned to her coffee.
Itachi tilted the plastic cup considering the drink. He found himself doing this more often, trying silly things just because they were available. He was sure this had something to do with feeling like he was living on borrowed time, time he wasn't expecting to have. What about accepting death and waking up to live another day made him do things like trying to promo drink… or noticing something wrong and wanting to stay something about it?
Sasuke sat with an arm behind Hinata on her chair but looked at her like she was far away. Hinata smiled, but she was tired behind her eyes. They were both showing signs of stress.
Hinata shifted as her phone notified her, and Sasuke's face tightened as she got up to answer it. "I am going to throw that thing out a window."
"Trouble in paradise?" Itachi teased.
"Don't." Sasuke waved his hand as his face dropped. Itachi wasn't expecting that. Sasuke was quick to anger when something bothered him. If he has the forethought to upset but was able to put it aside, this had been a problem for more than just today.
"How is she doing?" Itachi wondered.
Sasuke gave him a look with his change in tone. "She's… fine. I guess. Comes home late, works all hours, but hasn't collapsed yet." He looked over his shoulder at her pacing on the phone just outside the café. "Maybe if she would, she would take a break."
"Yeah, because that's what happened the last time she collapsed," Itachi said sarcastically.
Sasuke face twisted as he looked back. "I worry about her."
"Is that all you are worried about?" Itachi prodded.
Sasuke scowled. "I don't want to talk about it."
"We already are." Itachi countered.
"I really don't want to talk about it." Sasuke pressed back.
Itachi crossed his arm, sitting back. The brick wall meant it was serious. Hinata sighed as she returned, tucking her phone away and collecting her coat. "Sorry, that was the director."
"Where are you going?" Sasuke's tone hid his irritation, but his face didn't do as well.
"I'm sorry, he needs me to pick up an investor from the airport. He was supposed to arrive in the morning but took an earlier flight." Hinata leaned down to kiss Sasuke. "I'll take a cab. I'll see you when I get home." And like that, she was gone, and Sasuke's face washed off the mask he gave her to show how annoyed he really was.
"She's a career woman. You knew that when you met her." Itachi reminded him.
Sasuke's eyes flashed as he looked at his brother. "That's not the problem."
"It looks like the problem." Itachi raised an eyebrow.
Sasuke turned his head out the window and set his jaw. His face faltered for a moment, and he rubbed his face. "I love her."
Itachi blinked. He was expecting a rant, not a confession. "And?"
"I think she loves the job." Sasuke rested his hand under his face, mostly to hide the way his lip twisted up miserably at the idea. "I think I'm just another assignment."
Itachi sighed. That was trouble in paradise. "She chose you. She would still be engaged to me if she just wanted to follow orders."
Sasuke shook his head. "She chose not to break my heart over protection."
"She denied a direct order." Itachi tried.
"Because she was mad at dad. Hinata only gets mad enough to take action when someone is lying to her." Sasuke side-eyed him. They both knew what else he was referring to.
"And when she realizes that you've been lying to her?" Itachi countered.
"I'm not lying," Sasuke grumbled.
Really he was going to make that argument? "You're not telling her how you feel. Do you think she will be happy when she finds out?"
"I'll talk to her eventually. I just don't know… what I want to say." Sasuke sighed out the window as the sunset. "And I don't know if I want to know the answer."
