Day 21 Prompt: "A hint of jealousy"

"I love you."

"You do?"

"Time to wake up, Mr. Sasuke!"

Sasuke feels like he's been punched in the gut, lets out an unpleasant oof as Hinata scrambles on top of him. He struggles to peel his eyes open to find her fixing her hair and he props himself up on his elbows.

She mumbles "shoot, shoot, shoot" to herself and he thinks it's kind of cute how seriously she's taking this. What could possibly happen to a 26-year-old woman sleeping in the same bed as an adult man? It's not like…

"Just going to go wake Miss Hinata."

Sasuke blinks when Hinata starts tugging at the ends of her hair and he shakes his head. "Hinata."

"Shhh!"

"Hinata," he repeats, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "It's not a big deal."

"You don't say that!" She points an accusing finger at him and he leans away. A little taken off guard because this is probably the first time she's shown genuine irritation at him without feeling guilty immediately. "You do not know my father!"

"Yeah, but –"

"Hummm." They hear Kō on the other side, his voice intentionally loud. "Seems Miss Hinata isn't in her room, I do wonder where she might be…"

"Hinata." Sasuke gets up to grab the hand frozen in a pointing position at him. "I think he's messing with you."

"Guess I'll just go get breakfast started instead," Kō calls and Hinata finally looks at Sasuke with her mouth open, her entire face contorted in concern.

"You're an adult," he tells her, pulling her against him. "And so am I. Try not to think too much about it."

Still, something tugs at his thoughts.

I love you.

Did that actually happen? If so, who said it? Was it his dumbass who said 'you do?' Or was it his dumbass who said he loved her in the first place?

He questions himself even as she relaxes. Wonders what's next on their agenda. And whether he should bring up this possible exchange of words…it would be terrible and awkward if it hadn't actually happened.

"Sorry," she breathes, straightening out and pressing her nose into his sternum. "This is uncharted territory."

Sasuke keeps to himself that this isn't so uncharted for him.

Hinata keeps her promise to show him the garden, and he takes a genuine interest in it. He also keeps his promise to give her father a proper goodbye, and he thinks he does a pretty good job of it. Bows, holds out his hand, looks confident, all that jazz. Makes sure Hiashi Hyūga knows he's here to stay, whether he likes it or not. But honestly, Hiashi Hyūga doesn't seem to care all that much. Sasuke's not sure what he cares about, but as long as he doesn't interfere which what he wants to have with Hinata, Sasuke's good with it.

She doesn't bring up those three words that day, so he doesn't, either. It would be horrifying to bring it up and be met with confusion because he in fact just dreamt it. He's trying to continue letting her take the lead, for as long as possible.

Then there's the matter of the accident. When he swept her back into the room, he just laid with her and let her release all of her bad feelings. Words weren't exchanged, but he felt her trying to keep it all together. She kissed him forcefully as if trying to will the negativity away with a passionate distraction.

He's not really proud of it, but he was actually debating letting her go as far as she wanted to. Figured he committed to letting her take the lead, so…

Something inside of him stopped him though, like a little voice deep in the back of his skull. Telling him that she's not in a good place, and letting this go too far would end in regret. The hard part was convincing his own animal hindbrain to put a stop to it, but once he pulls her hands from his belt buckle and pulled her against him, she immediately relaxed and almost instantly fell asleep. He was (and still is) almost jealous of her ability to conk out with the slightest bit of comfort.

It's when Hinata shows up on his doorstep and throws herself dramatically on his couch that Sasuke realizes he may or may not have signed up for more than he was aware.

Doesn't mean he doesn't want it. Just that he wasn't aware.

A dramatic sigh, the back of her hand over her forehead, a leg dangling from the couch.

"Hello there," he greets her after letting her go through her process of locking every lock available, stomping to the couch, and throwing herself onto it.

"It's awful."

Sasuke smiles to himself because he's getting to see a Hinata that he doesn't think many others get to see. "What is it?"

"There's a new O.D."

"O.D…." Sasuke tries not to make an ass out of himself, quickly pulling his phone to his hip to google the term. "A new optometrist."

"Mmhmm…" Hinata hums, burying her face in the couch cushion before letting out a long whine. It's not a scream, just something from the back of her throat.

Sasuke ponders as he grabs her a lime-flavored soda from the fridge, approaching her limp form on the couch. He cracks it open and nudges it between her index and thumb that hang off the edge of the couch. She doesn't make a noise, but the fingers do stretch open in a claw form to snatch it, bringing it up to her mouth that is hidden behind her long, dark locks.

"Something wrong with the new O.D.?"

"Mmmmmmph." It's unpleasant how she muffles it out, so Sasuke takes that as a resounding yes.

"Guy, gal, non-binary pal?"

He hears a snort come from the cushion and he takes pride in it. Still choppy against the cushion, she asks, "Where'd you get that?"

"Some YouTuber I like to watch cook."

"You? Watch someone cook?"

"I like watching someone in particular cook."

Her cackle is cuter now than it's ever been because he feels like she's comfortable enough to let ugly sounds like that out now.

"It's a man."

Sasuke frowns instinctively. He doesn't like to think he's jealous…jealousy isn't something he feels often. At most, it was when Naruto claimed someone else was his best friend. That did not please Sasuke, and he doesn't think it would please him that a man gets close to Hinata. Sasuke knows that's life, that Hinata will become friends with other men, he's met Shino and he actually kind of likes him. It doesn't stop a small sense of jealousy from bubbling inside.

"Men are terrible," he says, dead serious.

Another giggle, equally as cute.

"That is not what I am saying."

Sasuke, seated on his butt against the couch with her limp right arm and leg hanging off it, leans his head back so it cushions into her waist, a nice place. He brings his full-sugar coke to his lips and sips. "What's wrong with him, then?"

A mumble. "Rude."

"I can beat him up."

Another sharp intake of breath tells him she wheezed, but this time, he's a little offended.

He thinks he can take out some nerd optometrist.

Right?

Finally, she turns her face to the side to reveal it, and he leans back into her waist so he can see her eyes. She's smiling now, which quells any sort of offense he took at the laugh, even more so when she reaches down to pet his hair. Naruto used to tell him he was like a cat because 'you gotta let him approach you.' He leans his head into her hand and returns the smile.

The next day, Hinata doesn't meet him in the food court. He tries not to let tainted memories of when she ghosted him for a brief period of time invade his mind, just sends her a quick message saying he hopes she's doing okay. He doesn't even message Naruto for reassurance this time.

She doesn't respond, and again, he brushes it off, knowing she might just be busy. He doesn't want to seem clingy and they're in a good place. Being in a healthy relationship is new to him, so he figures backing off a little is the right step.

He gets a message from her far later than normal, a simple apology for not being there. He tells her it's okay, just hopes she's doing okay, but receives no response after.

It's two days later with minimal communication, again, that Sasuke starts to feel…needy? It's not something he's felt in a long time so he's not sure. But he can only reason that's what it is, because he keeps checking his phone, feels disappointed in the food court when Hinata doesn't show, looks at flowers, and thinks of her in this forlorn way that he thought only existed in romance novels. So he just sucks it up and decides to return the favor of dropping in unannounced.

He catches her right as her door swings open, not even able to knock first. She's carrying her basket of laundry that looks like it's piled way too high and he makes a mental note to get her one of those laundry baskets that rolls. Before he can say anything, she looks up and lets out one of the squeaky yelps. He furrows his eyebrows when she drops the basket on her toe and has to remind himself that this is why he doesn't do things unannounced.

"Sasuke!" She hops on one foot while flexing the stamped toe, grabbing the doorframe to balance.

"Sorry," he says, reaching down to take the handles of the basket so he can carry it for her. He ignores her little protests and just leads them down the stairs. He glances over his shoulder to get a better look at her, tries not to think about the fact she looks a little guilty. Her head is hung and she doesn't meet his eyes. She really doesn't look like she's in good shape and that makes them a little nervous. He squashes those feelings down deeper inside himself. He knows he has to tread carefully and actually talk it out before he jumps to any conclusions.

It's kind of hard though, with her being so silent, not even questioning what prompted him to drop by out of the blue. Maybe she knows why.

"Putting off laundry?" he asks as she unlocks the door to the laundry room.

"Kind of," she responds, opening up one of the washing machines so she can start flinging clothes in. Sasuke tries to help by lifting the basket so it can sort of pour in. When he sees it starting to get full, he pulls the basket away to her confused expression.

"This is a two loads situation." He shrugs, opening the machine next to it to put the other half in. She tilts her head but nods regardless, dispensing laundry detergent into both. He's secretly pleased she's doing everything exactly like he taught her to do, down to the millimeter of detergent. The silence drags on longer than he wants, so he tries at lifting the mood. "Guess I'm glad to see you do in fact wear underwear."

"Eh?!" Hinata drops the cup into the machine as it fills with water, eyes growing big as she looks up at him in shock. He laughs as he reaches in to grab the cup for her. "Wh-what do you mean by that?"

Sasuke gives her a look and Hinata presses her lips into a thin line, looking like they're almost trembling. Then she lets out this loud laugh and covers her nose and mouth with her hands. He smiles, relieved that he didn't cross a line, happy to slowly press against those boundaries.

"I really hoped you hadn't noticed that," she laughs out, pulling her hands down so they rest on her sternum. "I know it was silly…"

"It was cute." He shuts both of the washing machines and sets a timer on his watch, choosing not to let his look linger on her blush. He figures she'll have to get used to it at some point. "Like seeing a pair of your underwear would immediately send me packing."

"What if it had?" she asks, coming up to his side to join him on the trek back to her apartment. "What if there were a pair of granny panties in there?"

Sasuke sucks in his cheek as they climb the stairs. "I would keep my judgment to myself."

"See." She gestures out with her right hand. "You would have judged me."

"Judging is a part of life." He shrugs, rounding the corner of the stairs. "We make judgments all the time. How do you decide to cross the street? You judge whether a car is going to remain stopped for you."

"That," she says while shaking her head, "is a completely different kind of judgment."

He raises an eyebrow. "I judged you outside of the building that day."

"That doesn't surprise me," she tells him as she sticks her key into her doorknob. "I would judge me, too."

"It wasn't bad judgment," he chuckles, following her in without an invite. Sets her basket down, then pulls off his shoes and sets them next to her slippers. Her shoe area is looking more organized lately.

"Uhm, I don't mean to be rude." She chews her bottom lip while looking up at him, folds her arms. "But is there anything I can do for you specifically?"

"I can't just want to hang out…with my girlfriend?" He's being intentionally coy, trying to see if she'll address the issue first. "I was led to believe that's something couples just sort of do."

"Oh," Hinata sighs out, looking down at her feet. He sees them turn inward towards each other. "Yes, of course. I'd love to spend some time with you."

"I'm not intruding on anything?" Sasuke asks, glancing around. He really hopes she'll say it before he does.

"You aren't." She shakes her head, waving him over to join her on the couch. He falls back in the space next to her, watches her twist her hand together on top of her knees. He can finally stop to get a better look at her. It's about an hour after her workday ends, and she's already clad in pajama shorts and a tank top, her hair bunched on top of her head. She looks cute, but he wonders if it means anything that she looks like she's already checked out for the day. Usually, when he comes to see her, she's still fully dressed.

"So…" He puffs out his cheeks, looking back down at himself, still in his dress shirt and tie, looking like a stiff.

Then, she shifts to turn to him and he looks up. "You're probably wondering why I've missed lunch the last couple of days…"

And why we've barely talked. "That?" He feigns mild surprise, shrugging. "I mean, yeah. I noticed you haven't been around."

"The new doctor bought lunch for all of us yesterday." She points her index finger at the other, then brings up the middle finger to join it. "Then today he insisted he take me to lunch."

Sasuke's heart spikes into his throat. "He what?"

"He's doing it with everyone," she quickly adds, her hands clenching into fists. "He says he wants to get to know all of us."

"That's weird," he deadpans, looking her right in the eye. "Sounds inappropriate."

"I mean…" She chews on her lip harder, and he sees it turn red. "I think he's just trying to be a cool boss?"

"Creepy boss," he snaps, unintentionally. She recoils and he sighs, running his hand through his hair. "You know that's weird, right? Buying lunch for the whole office is one thing, taking you on a date – "

"It wasn't a date!" she retorts, her voice getting higher. "I made sure to say that! He laughed and –"

"Of course, he agreed with you." Sasuke feels his blood boiling, that same feeling of anger rising inside him like it did with that situation with Karin. "He's not going to come right out and say he's hitting on you, Hinata."

"Okay, but –"

"Does Tsunade know?" He turns his entire body to her, bringing his knee up to his chest. "Because if she does and thinks it's fine, she's a bad boss."

"I –"

"It's not okay." He doesn't even know why it's all spilling out of him, but he can't control it. "Were you comfortable with it?"

"I mean…"

"And don't try to be nice and fib. Be honest with me."

Hinata rubs the bridge of her nose, her eyes casting away and the hair that frames her face covering her pale cheek. He observes her and already knows the answer, or at least, he thinks he does. Thinks he should know. She sighs, dropping her hand into the other. "No, not really. I did not want to have lunch with him."

"And you should be able to say no." He leans in, firm, and she scrunches her eyebrows together at him, her lips pursing.

"It's not that easy."

"It is." He scoots in closer. "Just say 'no.' Look, we'll practice. Pretend I'm the new asshole optometrist. Hinata, I want to take you to lunch to – " Sasuke air quotes "' get to know you.'"

"Sasuke," she sighs, reaching out to pull his air quoting hands down, "it's not that simple."

"Why?" he asks, completely serious.

"Because he's my boss!" she snaps, and now he's the one recoiling. "He's my boss and it feels wrong to say no to your boss."

Sasuke stomach flips, his lips tugging downward into his permanent frown. "That's really fucked up."

"Well, it's my reality," she whispers, looking away. "I don't even like it there."

That's new. He leans in squinting at her. "What?"

"Nothing." She tugs at the low collar of her tank top, pulling it higher.

"That is not nothing." He watches her fingers fidget here and there, then finally reaches out to grab them with his own hands. "What is it?"

"I don't want to be there," she spills out, suddenly, looking to the side, but still letting him cradle her hands. "I don't enjoy it, I dislike the classes, I find it all horribly boring. I don't like the environment, I don't like the clients, I don't like—I don't like being there."

He stares at her as she lets it all out and comes to a realization he can't believe has alluded him this entire time.

Hinata hates the idea of being an optometrist.

"You should quit," he responds, instantly. Her eyes shoot up at him, looking confused and a little angry. "You hate this. You should quit."

"Quit?!" She pulls her hands from his. "We were talking about my boss, not – not this!"

"Yeah, and it lead to this." He joins her when she stands, turning her back to him. "There's a reason for that, isn't there?"

"No, no!" She throws her hands to her sides, bunching her hands into fists. "This is not what I meant to happen! I cannot quit!"

"Why?" He wants to reach out to her but decides against it.

"Because!" She whirls around to face him and he regrets the clear sign of tears in her eyes. "Because I'm in school for it. I'm this close to getting my license! It's all I've ever known and – and, it's what our family does! I can't just stop, not now."

"I think that's bullshit," he says, seriously, meeting her gaze. "A lot of people change career paths –"

"That's not the same!" She's almost yelling now, unusual to Sasuke. "This is what I'm supposed to do!"

"That's stupid," he snaps, unintentionally, and doesn't register the crestfallen look on her face. "Have you ever thought that maybe you're supposed to work with kids?"

"I – " He hears it die in her throat as those tears well up bigger and bigger until she whips around and starts stomping away.

Oh, fuck.

"Wait, wait." He reaches out pathetically, watching her go straight into her bedroom, then promptly shut the door with a little more force than normal. His hand drops and under his breath, he whispers, "fuck…"

His phone buzzes and he sees her name on his screen.

You can sleep here.

Sasuke runs his hands over his face and falls back on the couch. He's not up to doing much else, now.