Sasuke turned his bike around the corner to find Hinata waiting under a streetlamp. "You know I could have dropped you off in the area if you wanted."

The look on Hinata's face gave him a bad feeling. She took an offered helmet. "Can we go for a ride?"

Sasuke felt an unsure pit in his stomach. He gestured for her to get on, and when she did, he took off around the city. Hinata stayed quiet, holding on to his waist comfortably as he took a long loop around the city past the water so she could see the moon reflect off it as they drove by this her head rested against his back. He stopped at a food stall. With fried sticks in hand, they sat on a bench in another empty park, much like the one they made their deal in. They finished their treats before Hinata was ready to talk.

"I have something to say that you are not going to like to hear." Sasuke nodded. "Itachi-san asked me to break up with you," Hinata admitted. "That's why I needed you to come to pick me up."

Sasuke's breath hitched. "What?"

"He doesn't approve and thinks you don't need the 'distraction' right now," Hinata explained.

"What the…" Sasuke couldn't even make words. "He went to you?!"

"Sasuke-san…" Hinata whispered.

"That bastard can't even…" Sasuke doubled overhand and raked at his hair painfully. Itachi was going to give him a heart condition.

Hinata set her hand on his shoulder. "I don't think he knows how to talk to you."

"That doesn't excuse this!" Sasuke snapped.

"I know. I just think it's the reason. I don't think what he did was right." Hinata explained. "But it gets worse."

"How?" Sasuke asked.

"He didn't want me to tell you that we even talked," Hinata understood why it hurt. "I think he should have known better that I wasn't going to do that to you."

The anger spiked, and then just as quickly as it came, all the energy left him. Sasuke hung his head. Hinata rubbed her thumb where it was on his shoulder. "That bastard can't keep making decisions on his own like this if he wants me to be a leader."

"I know," Hinata whispered.

Sasuke should be numb to this already. How many years had his brother been disappointing him? How many times had he stepped in for 'his own good'? What if Hinata hadn't known about his brother? Would she have taken Itachi's advice and left him?

"I told him that he should be talking to you about your decisions if he thinks they are wrong. I don't know if he will." Sasuke sat back up and rubbed his face violently, trying to get rid of the feeling that was lingering. Even if his brother was trying to meddle, he couldn't let it bother him. "I don't know if that talk will go very well."

"It won't happen." Sasuke knew better than to think that Itachi was going to change his ways, but of course, he had never heard of him stepping in like this. "I should take you home."

Hinata nodded but took a moment to wrap her arms around his shoulder. Sasuke lowered his face into her arms. He needed the hug.

Hinata got up as the class dismissed and gathered her things. She was greeted by a bundle of flowers that jumped into her view. She peeked behind them to see Sasuke with a grin on his face. Hinata blushed, taking them as she heard whispers and giggles of girls that passed her. "You picked me up. When did you have time to get these?" Hinata dipped her head to hide her growing embarrassment.

"I have a gap period right before lunch." Sasuke put his arm out. Hinata took it with a sigh. He was being far too much.

"You don't have to make up for Itachi's rudeness," Hinata grumbled.

Sasuke leaned down at her and smirked. "I don't know what you mean. I think my girlfriend should get flowers periodically." Sasuke was going to make her heart explode with embarrassment. It was sweet, but he was trying too hard. Maybe she should be putting in this much effort too. She felt like she wasn't doing enough. "Where do you want to go this weekend?"

"I am meant to be at the opening event for the new Uchiha hotel. You should know that you're meant to be there too." Hinata frowned at him.

"I know. Where would you rather go?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata shook her head. "No, we have to go. If we are going to announce to our families that are going to be a couple, we should do it publicly so that they can't reject it without bad press."

Sasuke made a face. "That does sound more reasonable."

"Were you really thinking we could just skip it?" Hinata asked in disbelief.

Sasuke shrugged. "I've skipped a lot of events. No one looks for the second son."

"You're going to have to start caring about your public image. Public relations events, openings, and charities are the best places to make a statement and the worst place to be caught messing up." Hinata explained.

"See. I really am just the pretty one." Sasuke put the back of his hand under his face.

Hinata rolled her eyes at him.

Hinata was used to Hanabi ignoring her and the nasty texts and the silent side eyes, but she was not looking forward to the confrontation that waited for her when she got home.

"Trying to climb back up the social ladder?" Hanabi asked without looking up from her phone from her place sitting in the kitchen.

Hinata looked back at her with a calmer expression than she felt. "I never wanted to be on it in the first place."

Hanabi rolled her eyes, landing on her. "Don't try to be poetic."

Hinata felt her heart plummet. Why could she only see the little girl that was begging for her to stay home to play? "You're wasting your time insulting me. I know how you feel now."

"Don't start acting like you're worth spending time on." Hanabi's eyes bore through her. "Tsk, bitch." Hanabi turned back to her phone.

Hinata felt herself snap. "Watch your mouth."

Hanabi snapped up in shock, but Hinata was gone. She was on the other side of her bedroom door, covering her mouth. Did she just scold her? When did she get so bold? Had she lost her mind?

Sasuke's arm rested around Hinata's shoulder as she flipped through her notes. Her handwriting was neat, and her notes were more organized than the textbook. "Do you always study this much?"

Hinata side-eyed him. "Don't you?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I've never really had to study."

Hinata's jaw dropped. "You were second in our year."

Sasuke eyebrows shot up at her surprise. "And?"

"You're telling me you never studied, and you consistently scored higher than me?" Hinata asked in horror.

"I mean… if I remembered it, why would I need to study it?" Sasuke shrugged.

Hinata scoffed, frustrated. "Then what do you need me for?"

"What do you mean?" This was really upsetting for her.

"Why do you need my help running a company if you're just good at everything?" Hinata frowned at him.

"Just because I can remember classwork doesn't mean I know what to do," Sasuke explained. "Taking tests isn't like putting out press fires."

Hinata huffed at him. She might be actually mad at him about this.

Easy way to make her forget about it, though. Sasuke tightened his arm around her to pull her closer so he could kiss her cheek. Hinata pushed his face away and shrank down in her seat to pout at her notes, but her face turned red up to her ears, telling him he won.