Adoration

Hiashi's POV

"I would like to pursue Hinata with the intention of marriage," a pause, before, "Will you allow it?"

Hiashi blinked blankly back at the man seated before him.

Uchiha Itachi, heir and genius of his clan, was asking for his daughter's hand. He'd once thought there was a limit to absurdity, but clearly, he was wrong. How did Hinata—his kind, tender, overly affectionate daughter—manage to get the attention of someone that he very much believed to be death's companion? Itachi was already a man sent by the village to do their bloodiest tasks when his daughter was barely a teenager. Truthfully, he would've even expected him to request for Hanabi's hand, rather than Hinata's. She seemed too… soft for the Uchiha heir.

Hiashi would've thought that it was a strategy, so the Uchiha could gain a foothold in Hyuga affairs, if not for the fact that Itachi had never show interest in anyone else, regardless of their status. He'd even been approached by the feudal lord's daughter once, before proceeding to mercilessly shoot her down. It had been the talk of the village for weeks.

Of course he personally believed Hinata to be the better option. No one could compare to either of his beautiful daughters, but he wasn't foolish enough to not realize that that was a father's bias. Itachi could have his pick of any woman in the world.

"I thought you were only doing this to dissuade the bolder noblewomen's families from sending you meeting requests," Hiashi said as calmly as possible. He even took a sip of tea like he needed to emphasize how unconcerned he was about the request Itachi had suddenly thrown at him.

"I was more interested than I imagined I'd be."

"Clearly."

"She's… your daughter is lovely. One of the most charming women I've ever met."

"She takes after her mother."

"I see."

Ancestors, this was uncomfortable.

Hiashi didn't think Itachi would ever take an interest in either of his daughters. That was why he wasn't fully processing this at the moment. He couldn't exactly say no. Hiashi was loathe to admit that he was more than qualified to pursue Hinata. He was a soon-to-be clan head and was one of the village's most powerful ninjas. His accomplishments were endless. More important than his qualifications, however, was the fact that Hinata would be well taken care of with him. She'd even be placed in a position of power within another clan, which would surely please the Elders.

But political issues aside, he was a wonderful candidate. Better than he could ever hope for, considering he was already a ninja of Konoha. The next best thing in terms of equal power and wealth to Hinata was the feudal lord's son. Hiashi wouldn't trust that spoiled snake with a teacup, let alone his daughter. There were other ninja clan heads interested in marriage, but Itachi was…

He's perfect, he thought, annoyed.

"Why Hinata?" Hiashi asked, outright. Miracles happened, but this was just so incredibly convenient. There had to be a reason other than just desire.

Itachi opened his mouth to speak, but a knock on the door interrupted him.

"Sweets, father," Hinata said through the door.

"Come in," Hiashi said.

Hinata opened the door. She bowed to both of them, before gracefully laying out their snacks. Hiashi's eyes thinned at the colorful dango. Prior experience with Itachi made him realize that it was his preferred food, but right now it seemed too welcoming.

She had a blush on her face, as she smiled at Itachi. His face remained impassive, though he did unconsciously turn to face her. As an incredibly disciplined individual himself, Hiashi knew that that kind of reflexive reaction only happened when it concerned someone he cared for. He didn't know how it worked for Itachi, but for him, care only arose for three reasons—when the individual was family or if he'd bled or slept with them. Hiashi knew for a fact that Hinata had only been sent on one mission with Itachi.

His eyes narrowed at the way his eyes followed her as she left the room, albeit discreetly. Hiashi was trained to spot even the most minor of movements. A genius, Itachi might be, but he was still just a boy compared to him.

And yet… Hiashi promptly threw any sexual suspicions to the furthest reaches of his mind like a juvenile schoolboy. Hiashi didn't even want to consider the possibility. Never mind that his daughter would never do such a thing—and that was another reason that made him hesitate. She was still so inexperienced in ways that the Uchiha likely wasn't.

Once Hinata finally left, Itachi faced him in full again.

"Well?" Hiashi prompted, then repeated the question. "Why Hinata?"

He would throw him right out of this manor and lock the gates if he heard anything that displeased him.

To his surprise, Itachi sighed in a way that reminded him of Fugaku when he was younger; when his eyes would trail across the halls within the Hokage's building whenever he so much as caught a trace of Mikoto's chakra. The sound of it was barely audible, but there was something almost helpless—hopeless—about it.

"Would you refuse me," Itachi said earnestly, "if I told you that I'm still trying to figure that out for myself?"

"Yet you ask for my permission to court her? If I say yes, and you suddenly find yourself uninterested after a few outings, will you drop that intention of marriage midway and simply use my daughter to relieve your urges?"

"Never," he responded immediately because anything more than a moment's pause would've been an instant denial from Hiashi. "If I thought I'd find myself uninterested, then I wouldn't be here now. I simply want to pinpoint what exactly it is that caught my attention, before responding to that question. As it stands right now, all I can say is that I like her as a person. As Hyuga Hinata. I want her by my side."

No overly flowery words. No promises. More importantly, no lies.

Still, it wasn't enough for him.

"She's my daughter," Hiashi said, suddenly very tired. Having daughters somehow seemed infinitely more difficult than having sons. "Despite all that you are and all that you will be in the future, I'll always find a reason to say no. So, don't take my hesitancy as an affront. The Uchiha raised you well. Anyone can see that."

"Does that mean…?" Itachi let the question hang.

"It means yes." Hiashi stood to leave, but not before shooting him a glance filled with warning. "Don't make me regret it."