Adoration

Returning from the training grounds, Sasuke caught sight of Hinata currently having a midday snack outside of a teahouse his brother favored. It was one of the few places that didn't employ women. Why that was, no one knew, but none of the Uchiha men were about to question that beautiful tidbit. Perhaps it was some kind of reverse ploy to attract them, and in turn, attract more women to come eat? He did see a disturbing amount of them there. He could feel their eyes slinking across his skin, undressing him in their minds.

God, did Itachi have a private room or what? No way he regularly came to eat here.

And the all-male staff seemed to work against him now because Sasuke could see at least half of them eyeing the lonely Hyuga woman. He didn't blame them. She'd exchanged the jacket and long pants for shorts and a kimono style blouse with a tight obi around her middle, putting her large chest out on display. If you didn't do a double-take, you were either gay or so devoted that you might as well be.

Sasuke paused on his way to her, wondering for a moment how the waiters didn't know that she was already engaged. The ring on her finger was damn blinding. Not to mention, the news had probably already spread to the deepest, most remote corners of the Land of Fire... or maybe they did know, and that's why they were just lingering there, looking from afar. Maybe if he stayed long enough, one of them would throw all reason out the window and actually walk up to ask her out? That would be a sight. He was almost curious to see how she'd turn him down.

But... it was better to sit with her and ward off other men, so she wouldn't have to deal with them on her own. It's what his mother would want him to do. And who knows? One of those other men might even accidentally spill a drink on her, then insist on buying her dinner as an apology. That was a go to move of waiters apparently. Hinata would be too polite to decline, and then magic happened. Or so it went in all of the cliché stories Naruto told him.

It was best to err on the side of caution. Especially when it came to her.

At least, that was what he told himself—and that's exactly what he'd tell his brother if Hinata brought this little incident up to him when he returned from his mission.

"Hyuga," Sasuke called, stepping up to her. There was an array of colorful mochi laid out on the table with a cheery, ceramic cup on the far right.

"Sasuke-san," she greeted politely, smiling as he sat across from her. "What brings you here?"

He shrugged.

Hinata had apparently gotten used to his brother's noncommittal responses because she easily took that as an answer. "Have you eaten yet?" she asked, pushing a green colored mochi towards him. "Help yourself."

"I don't like sweets."

"... Oh." A pause. "Itachi loves them."

"I know."

Hinata blushed. From embarrassment at stating the obvious, he guessed, but he wasn't so versed in her expressions that he could say it for certain. There was an awkward silence, where Sasuke just stared as she ate. Her mouth opened, as if wanting to say something to him, but nothing came out.

Well, he was the one that approached and disturbed her relaxing afternoon. So, that meant he'd have to pick up the conversation, didn't it?

"Do you know where Itachi went?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. He was at home when he left three days ago after all. But speaking to her was harder than he thought it would be—especially with his nonexistent social skills. He couldn't just hit her like he did Naruto, neither could he just brush her aside with rude comments and underdeveloped grunts. Itachi would have his head.

"He didn't say anything to you?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. It was easily one of the cutest things he'd ever seen someone do. Her eyebrows pinched in disapproval at his brother's actions.

Sorry, brother, he thought.

"He might have," Sasuke said, trying to do some damage control. "I was tired. I know he left, but I don't really remember the details."

"Ah." She smiled in sudden understanding, glad that his brother hadn't just up and left after all. "He went to Kirigakure. He couldn't give me the details because they were classified, so it was definitely something ANBU related. I hope he's doing okay."

Sasuke stared. Not just because of the slight gasping sound that left her lips whenever she spoke or the way she covered her mouth with a delicate hand after taking a big bite of mochi, but because that damn heart-stopping smile made his blood burn hotly in his veins.

He suddenly regretted skipping marriage meetings for the past few years, and instead dumping them all on Itachi, who he knew wouldn't refuse him such a small favor. In fact, this year would be his first time actually doing it now that his brother had found himself a wife. But damn, if only he had known—well, no, that wasn't entirely true. Sasuke had known. He'd seen the list of candidates and had read through them as was his obligation as the Uchiha Clan's second son. Hinata's name was always at the very top. She'd just never interested him before that little bedroom incident where he actually saw her for the insane beauty that she was. And if that was unbelievably shallow of him, then so be it.

Sasuke went for looks first, then assessed personality.

But this just wasn't fair.

Itachi had never even given him a chance at the heiress.

The young Uchiha purposely chose to ignore the fact that he didn't even want a chance at the time. In fact, he distinctly recalled laughing when Itachi announced his intentions. Hinata had mastered the art of plainness so much that even he'd been fooled. It didn't help that Itachi's descriptions of her were always just her qualities—good cook, kind, gentle, demure, stubborn—as if he knew Sasuke would get curious and investigate if he even muttered the word: beautiful.

Damn sly bastard.

"Sasuke," Hinata called, snapping him from his reverie. Her eyebrows were pinched together in concern again. For him, he realized with no small amount of pleasure. "Are you okay? I've been calling you for the past two minutes."

"Fine," he said, trying to ignore the happiness he felt from her attention.

But it was impossible. Not when she smiled again. The corner of her lips turned up shyly, though her happiness somehow came across even better than Naruto, who was practically known for his wide, easy grins. How that was even possible was beyond him. Perhaps it was because she was a Hyuga. They were famed for three things: their doujutsu, their traditional beauty, and theiry icy demeanors, so getting one to smile was a feat in itself. It didn't matter that she was an exception.

When he caught the pleased blush that spread over her cheeks just from smiling at him, Sasuke's own face tinted.

His little brother was driving him up the wall.

The first time Hinata had told him about his brother popping up to join her at their special teahouse, Itachi had thought it amusing. So, Sasuke had a crush. Wonderful. He'd get over it in a few weeks.

He had to.

Because the woman he was infatuated with was, for one, not interested; and two, his fiancé.

His brother was lucky that Hinata had been delighted by his company, so he quickly let it go. Itachi didn't even bother with a customary confrontation just to let his little brother know that he knew he was being naughty. But after a while, whenever he came home to her after a mission he'd hear some new story about Sasuke suddenly approaching her to help with shopping or randomly appearing to take her out to eat—

He'd had enough.

"Hinata," Itachi called, interrupting her saying something about the wonderful day she had with her little sister.

Startled, she looked up at him. "Yes?"

"About Sasuke..." he paused, taking in the confused tilt of her head at the sudden mention of his younger brother. Had his brother seen that expression? He had, hadn't he? Itachi was going to kill him.

"What about him?" she asked, reaching up to rub away the wrinkle between his eyebrows.

"He's..."

She waited patiently for him to find the words.

"No, never mind," Itachi whispered, hating the way she frowned.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It's nothing important."

"Even if it isn't, I want you to—"

Itachi wrapped his arms around her waist and rubbed his nose in her neck, muffling the rest of her sentence in his shoulder. He wanted to tell her to stay away, but... just imagining the distress in her eyes had him hesitating. Itachi didn't want her to frown because of his selfishness. Besides, that would only cause problems. Hinata wasn't the one at fault, and she seemed to be enjoying his little brother's company when he wasn't around. Itachi knew it made her feel more welcome. No reason to make it awkward for her.

"I just missed you, Hime," he murmured, teeth nipping at her skin, making her blush. "So, please... stay awhile."

He had a mission in the morning.

Tonight, he needed to make sure he left a proper mark.