Hinata was passed from dance partner to dance partner. Shino was quiet. Kiba wasn't. Naruto was embarrassed, teasing her about her 'fainting.' Couldn't Sasuke have told him anything else?

Eventually, she turned to find Neji waiting for her. She smiled and slid her hands up on his shoulders. "I thought you were still upset with me."

"I don't have to agree with your choices to support your decisions," Neji told her. "I will trust that you know what you are doing."

Hinata giggled. "That's big of you."

Neji's eyebrows flinched together. "Don't make fun of me."

"You didn't object. I think that's what matters." Hinata teased.

Neji's thumb slid back and forth where it was her back. "I feel like I missed so much."

"You're following what you enjoy. I did fine without you." Neji would always worry.

"That's debatable." Neji made a face, side-eyeing her husband.

Hinata laughed.

The song ended, and she was surprised to see another brother waiting for her. Neji bowed his head to Itachi as he walked off the dance floor. Itachi offered his hand. Hinata took it and assumed a dance position. "Feeling better?"

Hinata looked at his feet. "Yes. Thank you." She should be asking him that. Itachi was looking particularly thin and pale. This wedding was added stress that he didn't need. He had been a terror since the beginning, but she couldn't help but feel awful that this could be worsening his health.

"I assume this was all Sasuke's idea?" Itachi stepped them in a small, slow circle.

"Hmm?" Hinata looked up.

"This deal." Itachi clarified. Hinata blinked at him. How did she answer that? How did he find out? Sasuke wouldn't have told him, would he? "You're both so tight-lipped even when you're caught."

"I don't know what you mean." Hinata's face flushed.

"It's clever." Itachi tilted his head to the side. "I hope it works out." What? "He will need all the help he can get, and I won't be around to guide him anymore."

Hinata opened her mouth, but she had no reassurance to give him. Even if he was sure he was right, she wasn't going to reveal their secret, but his quiet acceptance of his own mortality broke her heart.

"I think I am going to take my wife back now," Sasuke interjected with his hand on Itachi's shoulder and a stiff face.

Itachi eyed him. "Of course." He offered her hand. "It's your wedding."

Sasuke pulled her away and glared at his brother's back as he disappeared. "Prick doesn't need to make you look so crushed on your wedding day."

Oh? Was he watching her expressions? "He knows."

"Yeah. He told me last night, but I didn't get a chance to tell you. I didn't think he would corner you." Sasuke sneered.

"I think he's given up." In more ways than one.

Sasuke shook his head. "He just lost."

Hinata wasn't so sure.

Sasuke curled around his wife as they watched the room have their fun. Weddings were exhausting. He laid his head down on her shoulder and closed his eyes.

Hinata brought her hand up to his head and buried her fingers in his hair. "Tired?"

"Yeah." Sasuke hummed into her skin.

Hinata sighed. "Me too."

"Can we ditch now?" Sasuke hoped.

"You are so ready to skip out on our wedding." Hinata giggled.

"We got the part we needed to do over. The rest is just a party I don't want to be at." Sasuke grumbled.

Hinata leaned her head on his. "I agree."

"So, can we go?" Sasuke tightened his arms.

"No." Hinata giggled. "Like it or not, this is part of it still," Sasuke whined. "Look, Lee-san's having fun." He didn't even want to look. That guy had too much energy. It made him tired just looking at him. "Sakura-chan looks happy."

"She is dressed like a plum," Sasuke commented.

"I think she looks good in purple." Hinata countered. Sasuke only grunted. "You really are tired."

"Mhm." Sasuke nodded against her shoulder.

Hinata started to remove herself. "I'll talk to your mother and see what we can do."

Sasuke tightened around her. "Stay here a little longer."

Hinata giggled. "Okay."

Mikoto may have had a little too much wine. "Oh, you must be exhausted." She put her hand on either side of Hinata's face and brought in to kiss her cheek. "Let me get your room keys." Hinata waited for her to dig in her bag. "I had your bags sent up earlier."

"Thank you." Hinata accepted the cards from her.

"Have fun, dear." Mikoto giggled.

Hinata wasn't going to comment on that. She came back to Sasuke, holding up her prize, and he sighed. "I want this crap off my face." He smudged at whatever makeup his mother insisted on.

The hallways were eerily quiet after being in the loud wedding hall. Her ears felt like they were sighing in relief. Her feet were killing her and seemed more sore every step she took in the hall than they had the entire time on the dance floor.

Sasuke loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. "Never again." He punched the up key on the elevator.

"That's the idea." Hinata hummed, rolling her head to the side as they waited for the doors to open. They stepped in, and the reflective doors reminded her of her outfits. She put her hand across her midsection. "I have no idea how I am supposed to get out of this dress."

Sasuke looked at the back. "Do you think they make it complicated on purpose?"

"Why would they do that?" Hinata turned to try to see the fastenings.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "To make you ask for help out of it."

"I don't think that is why." Hinata looked away to hide her blush. "But I will probably need help."

Sasuke snorted as the doors opened to their floor. They found their door and unlocked it. Hinata took one step inside, squealed, and turned back to hide her face in his chest.

Sasuke caught her with his arm around her back. "What?" He waddled them to see the entire suite was covered in petals, including the bed, with a skimpy nightgown laid out on the edge. "I feel like mom is behind this."

Hinata whimpered, covering her face with her hands.

"Why do people think that having sex on your wedding night is normal? I am too tired." Sasuke rubbed her back. "Come on."

Hinata moved to flick the night gowned off the bed. "I'm not wearing that."

"I packed you a sweater." Sasuke opened his suitcase and tossed it at her. "I think it looks better anyway."

Hinata caught it and pouted. She wasn't sure that she liked that he thought that far ahead.

Sasuke rubbed his face, looking at the petals on the bed. He kicked off his shoes, stood up on the bed, and flicked the covers a few times, making them rain down off the bed. "That's better."

Hinata giggled as she started to take pins out of her hair. "It's a mess."

"I think we should have booked our own rooms." Sasuke hopped down and pulled off his jacket and tie.

"I don't think that would have stopped her." How many pins were in her hair?

Sasuke tossed the pieces of clothing aside and came around her back. "This looks complicated."

"If you can get it loose enough, I should be able to wiggle out." Hinata kicked off her shoes.

"Are you sure?" Sasuke wondered. "This thing looks too tight to go either way."

Hinata put a first full of pins down on the nearest surface. "It's stiff, but it's more forgiving than it looks."

Hinata could feel Sasuke's hand tugging on this or that, but she couldn't tell if he was making any progress. "I was worried it wasn't comfortable."

"It was comfortable enough to have a breakdown in," Hinata mumbled.

"How do you feel about that, your dad giving us a house?" Sasuke wondered.

"I…" Hinata sighed. "I think that even if he plans to get something out of it, this is the one nugget of recognition for anything I have ever done. I think I should appreciate it."

"Doesn't that make you suspicious?" Sasuke wondered.

"My father would have told me what he expected with it." Hinata rolled her neck back and fluffed her hands through her hair to find the last of the hidden pins. "If this house came with strings, he had the opportunity to tell me."

"You want to know what I think?" Sasuke leaned his head over her shoulder. Hinata looked back at him. "I think your dad was trying to one-up mine since they paid for the wedding."

Hinata pulled all her hair to the front and out of his way. "That's possible."

Hinata felt the whole bodice loosen. "I think I got it." Sasuke did a few more tugs. "I am going to shower." He huffed, unbuttoning his shirt. "Do you need any more help?"

Hinata held the bodice up with her hands and quickly shook her head. She forgot one thing about this top. It was boned and fitted, and she wasn't wearing a bra in it. Sasuke may already know if he saw her bare back.

Sasuke took one look at her blush and chuckled as he headed to the bathroom.