#Sasuhina kid

[sessakag]

Throuple Snippets #6 -NaruHinaSasu

Hima (Tugging at the bed spread draped over her sleeping fathers): Dads! Dads! Wake up!

Sleepy exasperated groans from one father that had been at the Hokage office all week and the other father that just got back from a grueling two week long mission but both having agreed to give their wife a much needed day off....

Hima (Tugging harder at the heavy bed spread): Dadsss! Wake up!

Naruto(Glaring at Sasuke turning over next to him, pretending to still be asleep and leaving him to deal with their daughter alone): Hima, princess can it wait until we get up? Dads are really tired this morning and trying to sleep.

Hima: but it's important!

Naruto (Huffing as he sits up): what's wrong Hima?

Hima: I woke up early to give mama a kiss before she left for the spa place with auntie Sakura and auntie Ino and auntie Tenten, and Boruto was up with Indra and they were saying that mama didn't make breakfast before she left and I told them it was because its so super early that the sun's not even out and usually everybody is still sleep! They didn't really care about that though, they were asking why mama couldn't make something before she left and left it for them and I told them mama said dads are in charge today so they had to wait till papa or daddy woke up to eat and Boruto said "why do we have to wait?" and I said "because mama said so" and Indra said "mama didn't tell us that" and I said "I'm not lying she did!" then Indra said "prove it" and I said "I don't know how!" then Boruto said-

Sasuke(Muffled by the pillow he'd pressed over his head midway through their daughters unnecessarily long and detailed story): Hima, just tell papa what's wrong.

Naruto(muttering beneath his breath, head in his hands): for the love of ramen please get to the point.

Hima: oh yeah, um, well Boruto and Indra tried to cook breakfast even though I told them not to and now the whole kitchen is on fir-

Hima (Watching as her fathers shot out of bed, tripping over the bed sheets and each other to get to the kitchen): told ya it was important.

Throuple Snippets #1-5 -> 1 2 3 4 5 7

Join my NaruHinaSasu community for more OT3 goodness!

[biroee]

Some of my version sasuhina's child that I drew.

The first two are twins.

The youngest (ik she looks a lot like Sumire but wtv)

[anonymousgrlll]

Unpopular Opinion: There’s so many ppl who hate the ship SasuHina… saying things like they never spoke before and those two 2gether makes no sense BUT they’re both really similar in ways of wanting their father’s approval, coming from powerful clans, & having a quiet nature to them both.

Those 2 as a couple makes a lot of sense and ppl are ALLOWED to ship whoever they want 😐 Y’all ship Naruto w/ppl he’s never even spoken to before but nobody complains about that and y’all also complain about their fanfics… anything goes in a fanfic and not every1 has to follow the op or oc… that’s what FANFIC STANDS FOR… They can make up whatever they want… they can write about whatever 🙄 y’all need to address why an anime character is making y’all this mad especially paired up w/some1 that isn’t a couple in the manga/anime

Ps: Sakura got married to a nigga that tried killing her more than ONCE, he abandoned his family for 12 years and was about to kill his own daughter… but that’s luv right?

Hinata did NOT stalk Naruto she was a shy person w/low self esteem who admired him from a far… Temari and Karui are also housewives 🫠 and CHOCHO is beautiful… all the racists in fandoms threads (Reddit) can cry abt it

Naruto in Boruto is TRASH they fucked up his character and that show is TRASH.

And all of the kids are nothing but low budget knock offs of their parents 😐

Ik the ps ain’t had nun to do with the original post but I just had to say it 🤣

Let ppl ship who they wanna ship, it ain’t that serious!! 🙄

[flower1622]

My opinions that are different from the other people:

(Don't like? Pass it)

. I'm not a big fan of Percy, Annabeth, Harry, Hermione and Ladybug/Marinette.

. I don't like the changes that are being made in the live actions, especially with Snow White. I'm really scared for the Naruto live action.

. I didn't like the Barbie movie. Nothing against Margot, but Ryan's acting was good. The Oscar is about talent, not gender. He was literally the best part of the movie, even though they made Ken act like a jerk. The movie broke the magic and perfect world I liked about Barbie. I didn't like to see that depressed barbies. I know they did to represent real women...but it didn't look good to me, sorry.

. I don't ship Borusara/NaruSaku/SasuNaru, but I ship Borusumi/Sasuhina/Naruhina/Sasunaruhina. I like Kakashi and Guy as friends and brothers...but maybe something more too. They act like a couple in Boruto saga. Always together and close to each other...

. I really would like to see an alternative world that Padme joins Anakin. They kill palpatine and become empress and emperor. Their kids would be raised on the dark side...it would be cool to watch!

. I really wanted to see an alternative universe that Naruto and Hinata also become evil. I love partners in crime stories.

. Rachel may not be so intelligent as Annabeth, but about personality, I think she has the better one.

. I don't like when people hate on authors/creators just because they didn't put diversity in their creations. I have nothing against it, but I respect them. It's their own creations. They create the characters as the way they want. If people want diversity, why not create one good story with it? Anyone is able to do this. Recently, people only care more about diversity and ideologies than create a good movie/series. I may respect J.K., but I will always want Draco and Harry or Albus and Scorpius as a couple and it's okay. There are fanfics for it.

. I think that Kat and Tommy have no chemistry at all and they only happened because the actress who played Kimberly left. Until the Turbo Movie, by Tommy's expressions and actions, anyone could see that he still had feelings for Kimberly.

. Clarisse and Percy have chemistry with amost every character, and even with each other (This is just my opinion, if you don't agree, it's okay too).

. Perachel would be better than Percabeth. Rachel doesn't laugh at Percy and she makes him feel comfortable around her. Rachel could balance Percy when he goes too far or gets too much into his demigod life.

[rosellerivers19]

I'm trying to teach here!

Sasuhina; Anbu Captain x Academy teacher au inspired by @hanchu27 's art on twitter

Hinata Hyuga used to be an esteemed heiress but that title was stripped from her when she was young now at the prime age of 22 she was an academy teacher. The Kindest of them all some would say. Though her reputation,pride and family life had struck sore she found many beautiful things later in life one of them was caring for children making them feel happy and needed in a way she had needed when she was younger, in the way her sensei Kurenai and team mates Kiba,Shino and even Akamaru did when she had been at her lowest point.

There was nothing particularly exciting in her life after she became a simple academy teacher sure . . . she still had a teeny crush on a certain blonde from the academy and admired his goofy smile and enthusiastic attitude every now and then when he came to the academy to meet up with Iruka sensei, but even now she could only observe from afar.

"Hyuga sensei!" her class shouted waking Hinata from her thoughts.

"Oh sorry I spaced out again didn't I?" she said smiling apologetically as a few student giggled

"Yeah you did," Mai Taisu, a popular kid in the class snickered. Hinata was aware of Taisu's rude behavior but she made sure that no other students got hurt in any way because of it. Right now the child was just saying empty words so she'd allow the disrespect besides she was an adult that meant she was the responsible one.

"I think it's kinda cute"

The whole class turned around to see a man with a cat mask and black and gray attire. He was a regular visitor yet no one knew his name. Well No one except the teacher herself.

"Neko san!" Many of the students in the class cheered as the man in the Anbu mask walked into the classroom from his spot in the corner.

"Now,now don't let me distract you please, listen to Hyuga-sensei"

Hinata could already imagine the devilish smirk that hid behind his mask

‘The destruction is already done and he has the gall to say pay attention’ she thought irritably before turning back to her class plastering a smile.

"Kids I'm afraid it's recess time so if you can go outside in a single file lin--"

The class erupted with shouting and everyone scrambling to get out in a matter of minutes. It was quite the commotion but also quite common for the academy teachers.

I think they're more excited about recess than becoming shinobi Hinata thought as she collected the papers left on the students' desks

She felt the presence of the Anbu captain beside her seeing him at one of the desks through the corner of her eye.

"Let me help you with that" he collected the papers in lightning fast speed, handing them to her a few seconds after saying the phrase.

His hand was outstretched to return the papers to her yet she was careful not to actually touch his hand.

"Thank you Anbu san." she said quietly walking back to her desk

"You know you can call me Sasuke" he called out from behind her

"You are in uniform, it would be disrespectful to the Anbu if I referred to you so informally" she replied, reaching for a chocolate big she had stashed in her desk so the students wouldn't go rabid.

"Is that chocolates" Sasuke asked peering over her shoulder

"won't you give me a few?" he asked his left hand to directly horizontal to hers on the desk but with enough distance so he wasn't *actually* touching her.

"This... is not for you" she replied, her tone a bit more harsh from the close proximity slightly adjusting herself so they were further apart "And you HATE sweets" she said almost accusingly

"Hmm. Then I suppose that you will show me some love TONIGHT... Right? Hyuuga-sensei?"

"What did you say?"

"I said you'll make me some chocolates later today right? We do live next to each other" he said overwriting his previous words even though she *clearly* heard him.

"I suppose . . ." she said gruffly

.

.

.

The Anbu captain stuck around hidden in the shadows for the entirety of her lesson which annoyed her but she didn't say anything about it, his presence only conscious in the back of her mind.

"Well that's the end of the lesson if you have any questions--"

"Why don't you ever teach us any fun stuff Hinata Sensei" Taisu asked, her feet on her desk a sign of blatant disrespect but Hinata ignored it.

"yeah . ." a few other kids agreed. Hinata knew the lessons weren't always fun but they were a crucial part of history and to becoming a shinobi

"Well I apologize you feel that way but this information is crucial" Hinata argued

"You just don't know how to teacher correctly" Taisu scoffed "what else can be expected from a--" Taisu stopped mid sentence with Hinata looking at her sternly.

"that is enough Taisu your recess time will be cut in half tomorrow if you can't handle a few boring lessons you will not be able to handle being a shinobi" Hinata spoke sternly

"Class dismissed"

The children said hurried good byes and see you tomorrows to their teacher seemingly scared by her tone of voice

Taisu mumbled under her breath from the punishment but didn't argue as she left

Hinata then turned around

"Stop scaring my students" Hinata scolded the Anbu captain who looked at her innocently taking off his mask.

"What? I'm not even doing anything"

Hinata sighed in frustration "Sasuke san as much as I appreciate you defending me I can fight my own battles especially against my own students" she replied she knew his presence had frightened her students he tended to do that when they showed a disrespectful attitude towards her.

She then walked to the chalkboard briskly to erase the lesson plan

"Where are you going?" He smirks not at all fazed by her scolding from earlier, "I'm not done with you yet...Hyuuga-sensei." he teased walking behind her before she grabbed his hand

"I'll talk to you after class" Hinata responded guiding him to the door forcefully to get him to leave

"what--- no fair," he whined but Hinata had already pushed him out the door, slumping against the door's hard surface.

This Anbu Captain Was A Problem.

The References:

Thank you so much @hanchu27 for the inspiration I'm looking forward to making more chapters with your art.

[yamanaka-shin]

6 and 19 for the choose violence ask gameeee

6. You're RIGHT about the SasuHina ones, but there are a lot of people on my own side (SS) and the SNS side who I cannot fucking stand. I'm embarrassed to be sharing a ship with some of em and I feel for all SNS fans who are tired of those on their side that are terrible. especially when both sides have some bad biphobia going on. I know part of it is on me for following the confessions blogs but it definitely doesn't all come from there...but what does? oh it's rancid.

Speaking of those blogs...the weird ass era of ChoIno that went on last year was absolutely horrendous. I'm so glad I don't see that weird shit anymore. cuz it's a cute ship but the people contributing to that cesspool of dumb fuckery were Jonny Testing my fucking patience.

19. (Already did once but I'll happily do it again) This time I'll go with, I absolutely loathe Shikamaru and I'm not a big fan of Shikaku but I adore Shikadai and it kinda baffles me sometimes. he's a good kid and it's PROBABLY because his mom is great cuz it sure as fuck ain't his father that's helping lmao.

also another, I know it makes me feel kinda cringe sometimes but I really like Ebisu. he's handsome and I want him. though obviously we're locking him in the stocks for being a weird pervert cuz I am so sick of that fucking trope in animanga. I know I sound like a hypocrite because you also got awesome characters like Bee who are horny on main but he never gives me the vibe of being any sort of risk or danger to the people he's expressed a desire for. that's the difference. I don't need to have grown men pass out from nose bleeds at the Sexy Jutsu or go peeping in bathhouses. get a job you fuckin loser.

[hellcifrogs]

okay but what kid fusions do you imagine would be best friends? who would be rivals? which would hate each other or which would be crushing super hard on the other?

any thoughts about these?? 🥰😍

Yes, actually! Many thoughts!

SasuNaru and HinaIno are bffs.

KibaHina, SakuHina and NejiNaru are "clan rivals". I have a little drawing about that to finish.

TemaTen and GaaSaku CANNOT stand each other. SasuGaa is the biggest pain in GaaHina's (and most of Suna tbh)'s ass.

OroJira and DanTsuna are, obviously, also bffs.

InoTema loves ShikaTema and ChoTema like her own sisters, but HATES leading them most of the time and is basically forced to for the clans.

SasuIno and SakuTema are slowly becoming soulmates by bonding through trauma, and SasuSai wants nothing more than see them happy.

LeeSaku is SasuNaru's private teacher, she respects him a lot and is becoming like another sister to him.

LeeSaku was DanTsuna's student.

SakuTen (is a med nin) takes AnkoRin as an example of what she DOES NOT want to become and admires DanTsuna.

OroJira doesn't resent the fact that people clearly like DanTsuna more than them, it doesn't even bother them, but it does bother DanTsuna who knows OroJira's skills.

SasuNeji hates all Hyuugas, but his sister SasuHina :3c - he bitterly tolerates NejiLee and NejiTen.

This is it for now, most other relationships still feel kinda vague :)

[sasuhinasno1fan]

In love with Mew - Sasuhina Month Day 24

So technically I'm late, but I have been working on this for ages. I don't know what it was about this month, but there were so many WIPs for this that I ended up hating, including Day 8 which was originally going to be my TMM au. It's a bit of a deeper dive into the relationship of Sasuke and Hinata from last years fic. I only did, 2, 3 fics this year, but I hope you like it. I do want to post a full fic of the AU eventually but maybe I'll just do a massive text dump with the idea, who knows.

@sasuhinamonth

Flowers & Weapons | Flores y Armas

Oblivious & Observant | Inadvertido y Observador

Hinata walked around the park, listening to the sounds of the area around her. Rehearsal had let out and Sasuke disappeared quickly, only leaving a text for her to meet him here. she thought they’d be doing their normal tradition of getting food by together on the first night of performances but Sasuke had been weird all morning. She started down the stairs taking her lower down into the park when finally, she spotted him. She’d recognise his hair anywhere, spikes and all.

“Sasuke!” he stood up off the bench he’d been sitting on, with his hands behind his back. “I thought we were getting lunch.”

“We will.” He promised, shifting a little. “I just, I needed to give you something.” Sasuke pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back, sunflowers and lavender.

Hinata let out a small laugh as she took them. “I thought I get flowers after the performance.” She reminded, sniffing the lavender.

It had been a tradition, since their first performance in Juniors Symphony. They’d done separate performances - Strings, Winds, Percussion – and after her Wind performance, Sasuke have her a massive bouquet of flowers, promising to always give her some after every performance. It became after every first night due to how many she brought home after the first few months. She hadn’t told him, but she’d dry the flowers out and put them in shadowboxes, hanging them up labelled with the orchestra piece they performed that day. They were, to her, the physical representation of how he felt. Of how she felt about him.

“You do, but this is more than just keeping a promise. I want to tell you something, maybe you already know but…we’ve known each other since we were kids. I didn’t want a practise partner for auditions but mom insisted and it turned out to be you. you were shy, but you didn’t give up. Your grandparents were poking at you for not being a prodigy but I remember watching you play through your piece without any mistakes for the first time. I thought it was beautiful. I wanted to be your friend then.”

She did remember that. Sasuke was still his usual closed off self, but he talked to her more. actually, smiled at her. By the time he gave her her first flowers, he was nearly different around her compared to strangers.

“as we got older, wanting to make you smile with the flowers was my main goal and as our families started picking on each other more, I was worried I wasn’t going to be around you anymore. I mean, we were supposed to attend the same school. When I thought I was going to lose you, it occurred to me that it was more than just losing my best friend. I’d be losing someone I loved.”

Hinata felt her breath still. “You, what?”

Sasuke took a breath and stepped closer. “Hinata, I love you. have loved you for as long as I can remember. One of my best friends confessed to me and I had to turn her down, and I realised while I didn’t like hurting her, keeping quiet about how I felt about you was going to hurt us if you decided to move on with someone else.”

“Why would I do that? I have you.” she said, not thinking fully. At the surprised look on his face, she looked at her flowers. “It’s, it’s always been you. I just, didn’t know how to put it in words. But every bouquet you’ve given me, felt like you telling me how you felt.”

“So, will you be mine?” he asked, hesitantly like she’d even say no.

So, she took his hand and looked up at him. “of course I will. Though, our parents…”

There had been some disagreement between their fathers, one that nearly stole Hinata from Sasuke completely like he feared and now the men almost always refused to speak to each other, let alone look kindly to their families interacting. They knew their mothers would be on their side, but they both knew their fathers would want something from the other before they let their kids date each other.

Sasuke sighed, knowing this. “we don’t have to tell them.”

“Kō would know.” she said, reminding him that her caretaker picked on things in seconds. “If we let them know now, they can get their peacocking out of the way and then we can date.”

“Or I can say screw getting their permission and just kiss you anyway?” Hinata was red but she still glared at Sasuke. “Or we can wait.”

“Besides, it’ll make the kiss that much sweeter.” She pointed out, giving him a mischievous smile.

She let out a squeak when Sasuke snuck one onto her cheek, smirking down at her. He laced their fingers together and tugged her down the path.

“Come on. I think I heard something about a café opening here.”

The café was actually a flower shop, though the castle like exterior made Sasuke give a comment about love hotels Hinata hit him for.

“They’re not open yet. ‘Mew Bouquets’, that’s an interesting name.” Hinata said, looking at the sign.

“Hey, they have an ice cream stand over there.” Sasuke spotted. “wanna cone?”

“Before lunch?”

“Like that’s stopped you before.” he teased.

Sticking her tongue out at him, she asked him for vanilla and waited by the building. Across the flower shop, was a slight hill were a girl with pink hair was rolling on the grass. She heard oriental music playing in the distance, no doubt from street performers. A girl in a trench coat and glasses passed her by and she heard someone yelling at someone for eating all the food somewhere. The world felt normal and it made her feel more confident in what she confessed. She was in love with Sasuke, it was a fact that was correct with the world. She took another sniff of the flowers, wondering what their orchestra mates would think seeing her with flowers early. Some of them were so superstitious, she wondered if they’d panic at the sight.

All of a sudden, the birds went quiet and dogs started barking and the ground started to shake.

“An earthquake?” Hinata dropped to the ground, trying not to panic, wondering where Sasuke was and if he was ok. Then there was a light, so bright it was like it was coming from under her. It enveloped her, leaving her standing in a hazy scene. She heard the bellowing sounds of a whale and looked around. Something nudge at her head and she turned. There it was, the whale, floating in front of her calmly. She didn’t know why, but she reached her hand out and touched it, feeling warm when it started to glow. “What are you?”

‘A friend. I’ll help protect you.’

The next thing she knew, she heard her name being called. She opened her eyes to see Sasuke’s worried face looking down at her. Kō was also there, sighing when she turned her head to him.

“Thank goodness. Quick, get her up. We’re taking her to the hospital.” Kō held on to her flowers as he stood up. Wasn’t she just holding those? And why was he getting up?

Sasuke moved as well, Hinata moving with him. He was carrying her. Why?

“What happened?” she asked, wrapping her arms around Sasuke’s neck as he followed her caretaker.

“You passed out. the earthquake came out of nowhere and when it stopped and I got back to you, you were unconscious. You weren’t waking up, I had to call Kō.”

“The concert.” She started.

“Who cares?” Sasuke said, looking scared. “You’re getting checked out first, everything else can wait.”

She had more questions, but she felt exhausted. She’d been fine after rehearsal and even after the walk to the park but now, all she wanted was a nap. So, she rested her head on Sasuke’s shoulder and let the motion of his walking lull her to sleep.

______________________

“They’re dating?” Hinata asked, lacing her hand through Sasuke’s arm. He’d been updating her on his friends’ apparently ‘busy’ weekend. It had been busy for them, getting cleared by the doctor before rushing back to the auditorium to perform. Plus, there was Hinata noticing the odd mark by her right eye. it was a spiral with something that reminded her of a tail. She didn’t know where it came from, just that she’d kept having dreams of what she saw during the earthquake, with the whale. A bowhead whale. It got to the point where she looked up what the animal was.

“Yep. Naruto’s had a crush on her forever and I guess my rejecting her got her to decide to say yes to going out with him. She came to thank me weirdly enough. I’m just happy she’s happy now.”

“People will never believe me when I tell them Uchiha Sasuke is a softy.”

“Shut up.” He said, causing Hinata to giggle into her roses. It was their first performance after the earthquake, after he told her how he felt. Sasuke decided that he didn’t want to waste time tip toeing around, but like Hinata pointed out, their fathers wanted something from the other and it was now a waiting game for Sasuke to get permission to date Hinata, or if she knew her best friend as well as she thought, for Sasuke to get annoyed with waiting and just date her anyway.

“It was a little worrying though. Turns out she was at the park during that earthquake and also passed out. she was out for hours but she’s been acting a little strange since. More, wild I guess. I don’t know.”

Hinata squeezed his arm. “I’m sure she’s ok. Naruto’s aunt is a doctor right? So, he knew what to look for. And maybe being with him makes her a bit more free. Animals have been doing strange things too. Did I tell you what Cinna did?” She asked, talking about her Shiba Inu.

“No, what?”

“So, you know how sometimes, we’ll let him stick his head out the window in the town car? He jumped out this time, ended up jumping on a girl coming from work. We were passing the park actually.”

So many things seemed to happen around that park that Hinata was wondering if it would be best to avoid it completely.

“That dog has all the energy you don’t show off, I swear.”

“Hey!”

They reached the stage door, just managing to miss the patrons who wanted to pass out flowers to their favourite members. Kō was waiting for Hinata, talking with Sasuke’s cousin who was in charge of his pickup.

“I’ll call you later. Tell Cinna to stop jumping out of moving cars.” Sasuke said, pressing a kiss to her cheek, cut short by Kō’s cough for attention. “Bye.”

“Bye.” Hinata said, shooting Kō a look as their car pulled up. “I thought you were on my side.” She stated, handing him her flute case as she climbed in.

“I’m also on the side of the man who signs my checks. Don’t worry, everyone knows where this relationship was going, they’ll settle their differences and get what they want or they’ll have Sasuke’s mother to deal with.

Uchiha Mikoto was a terrifying person. To Hinata, she was the scariest thing that ever existed, not counting an annoyed conductor and a bad rehearsal. At least until the same girl Cinna had jumped on randomly appeared wanting to return the handkerchief Hinata had given her. Kō was thrown off by her sudden urge to show off her phone charm to every corner of the foyer but Sakura kindly left, at least until Cinna wandered back inside from saying goodbye, growling and grew into a large monster. After watching Sakura turn into a cat eared hero, things were explained to her. The earthquake at the park, a machine revving up to change the DNA of 5 girls, all who were compatible with endangered animal DNA. The whale she saw, that was her animal. The one that allowed her to change into a Mew.

“The flower shop.” Hinata asked, after the battle she couldn’t explain to Kō as the reason the whole foyer was destroyed. “That’s…”

“Home base. Sasori is gonna want you to work there, that way we’ll be nearby in case they need us and so we’re actually paid for being turned into heroes. You can totally yell at him after if you want, that’s what I did when I started looking for answers.”

She wanted to complain but it felt like she didn’t have much of a choice. Her best friend, her constant when everyone else was busy, Cinna, had been turned into a monster. Who was to say what would happen if she hadn’t done anything?

“And don’t worry about rehearsals at the Symphony. I have a friend who’s part of the Orchestra, so I know when your rehearsals and performances are. I’ll help you talk sense into him.”

Hinata couldn’t really think of what else to say, so she took Sakura’s number and promised to be at Mew Bouquets after school. She sent Sakura in a car, while Kō tried to figure out what to do. Hinata’s side of the mansion was really only accessible by the front staircase, since it was closer to the living room she preferred to practise in. she was still trying to wrap her head around what had happened when another car pulled into the gates and letting Sasuke out.

“Hinata! What happened? are you ok?” he asked, pulling her into her arms, Cinna struggling slightly as he was pressed between them.

“I’m ok, just…. I don’t even know if I believe what happened. what are you doing here?” she asked, pulling away to look at him.

Sasuke looked at her like the question was stupid. “Kō called me. You’re staying the night at home. He said you were down here when it happened? who just left?”

Hinata dropped Cinna to the floor and wrapped her arms around Sasuke’s waist, Sasuke hugging her back automatically. It was starting to hit her, one fight in and with details still left unexplained. She go thrown around a bit, but she wasn’t majorly hurt. the aches from the fight had dulled in the span on minutes. If she was attacked with Sasuke close by, he could get hurt.

“Hinata, what’s wrong?” he asked softly, like he was trying to talk her down from an anxiety attack.

“Just, can you just hold me and save the questions for later?”

He held her tighter and pressed a kiss into her hair and didn’t speak.

_______________________

Being a Kunoichi Mew was, well…there weren’t proper words to explain it. sometimes it felt like she was a normal girl. She had a part time job at a flower shop, she’d listen to Sakura argue with Saori while watching Ino and Diedara fight about flower arrangements and how they shouldn’t look like they just exploded. TenTen had to be talked out of hitting picky costumers with flowers used as shuriken, impressive as it was when she nailed the hit.

Most nights, they’d change out of their colour coded uniforms, back into their school uniform and continue gossiping or complaining about school while waiting for Kō to come pick her up. Other days, the shop would either close unexpectedly or not open at all as they donned their Mew transformations to go stop creatures created by Pein. Sasori was still compiling information so they didn’t know why the alien was so insistent on fighting them or what he wanted. Just that it was their job to stop him. The human souls part was new which made it harder to stop him but they hadn’t failed yet.

So yes, trying to explain what a Mew was felt impossible, but Hinata could be happy for the few joys it brought. It however, did not stop the everyday life troubles she’d deal with. Like Neji.

Sakura needed an outfit to go to a party with Naruto and their school’s soccer team, so Hinata offered she could borrow one. It turned into a field trip with the others to her house. They’d been thrown by all the staff greeting her as she came in but even more when Neji came down the stairs, nose in his book and followed by his guard. He didn’t say much, even when Hinata introduced her friends. Just told them to move out of his way.

It was easy to keep distracted by talking about her wall of dried flowers from Sasuke. Ino and TenTen were quizzing her about Sasuke and their feelings for each other, Sakura oddly not joining in when Cinna ran out from the closet and to the door to her room. He whimpered, scratching at the door that slowly opened. The minute a leg was through the door, Cinna tried jumping up that.

“I saw you two days ago.” Sasuke said, lifting Cinna in his arms, moving his mouth away as Cinna covered him in kisses. He was still dressed in his school uniform and he had his violin case on his back. “Hey Hinata, Kō said you had people over so I – uh, hi?” he said when he realised he was being stared at by the girls.

“Is that him? Hinata, he’s gorgeous.” Ino said, checking Sasuke out.

TenTen circled him, stopping in front of him and stared, eyes slightly narrowed but Sasuke didn’t back down either.

“I hear you and Hinata might be dating.”

“TenTen!” Hinata cried from the doorway of the closet, blind to Sakura trying to keep from laughing.

“I’d like to.” Sasuke said, blunt as ever. “But it’s her choice. That and our stupid parents.”

TenTen hummed before punching Sasuke on the shoulder. “You’ll do. But if you do hurt her, you’ll have us to answer to.” She said, gesturing to the others.

Sasuke rolled his eyes but stopped when he saw Sakura standing next to Hinata.

“Sakura?”

“Hi. We’ve been friends since middle school.” Sakura explained at the confused looks.

“Ah! You’re his Sakura. How did I not realise you were the same person?”

“Hey, I didn’t realise Sasuke’s crush was you. I think the only time we would have figured it out was when Yukie Fujikaze came. He and Naruto helped me translate but you and Ino didn’t come out until after they left. Honestly, I don’t think you even know where Hinata works.” Sakura scolded, Sasuke refusing to look at her.

“Do you want me to come back tomorrow?” he asked Hinata, hoping to distract her.

“Oh, no. you’re not getting away that easily.” Ino said, taking him by the arm and dragging him out of the room. “You two have so much to tell us!”

Hinata hid her face in her hands, only pulling them out when Sakura bumped her shoulder with hers. “Come on, let’s go save him. At least now I know who’s he’s always texting during breaks.”

It should have been fine, watching Ino and TenTen pull information from Sasuke about the two of them growing up when Kō suggested they come to their next performance.

“The Symphony Orchestra is playing with the Konoha Ballet Company on their first leg of their Romeo and Juliet tour. You must come to opening night. Hinata’s father and sister won’t be able to attend so she has 2 extra tickets. I suppose Sasuke might have another if your father is busy.”

Sasuke nodded while Hinata felt confused. “I have 3. We get 4 and you’re the only one who will be here.”

“Well, since Neji is home, I thought to invite him as well.”

Neji was her cousin but the closest thing to a brother she had. They’d grown up and after his father passed, her own father practically adopted him. If it wasn’t for succession rules, Hinata knew Neji would be the one to become the new head of the family. He’d been the first person she played for, the first person who gave her flowers before Sasuke. As they got older though, Neji was expected to be perfect like the Hyuuga family was and the warm and kind brother she’d grown up with turned into the cold person who’d greeted her friends. She’d never pull him from making his family happy, no matter how much she wanted her brother back.

“Nii-san has a conference the same day. He won’t be attending.”

“I’m sure he’ll change his mind. This is the first time you both are doing this. did you know Neji used to be Hinata’s biggest supporter, always wanting to listen to her practise?” Kō started, stopped when the sound of her chopsticks hit the table.

“He’s not coming. I’m tired, please show the girls out when they’re done.” She said, pushing her chair back and leaving the dining room.

Sasuke would find her cuddling Cinna in her room later. He didn’t say much, pulling off his blazer before dropping into Hinata’s bed, waiting for her to speak. She stayed silent and he decided to at least turn his violin while he waited. That’s when she moved to stop hiding in Cinna’s fur.

“I shouldn’t want him there. He can’t, he’s got obligations. But…”

“We’re allowed to want family to support us, even if they’re really bad at it.”

She continue wishing for it, as they got ready for opening night. she got suspicious when Ino was invited backstage by Kō with TenTen and Sakura no where to be seen. Sakura gave up going to the party with Naruto to come support her so her absences was even more noticeable. When Neji appeared outside the dressing room, she figured it out.

“What are you doing here? You have a conference you’re going to be late for.” She said, refusing to look at Neji, her hands no doubt leaving a mess on her flute.

“I was invited.”

Hinata looked over to the girls who looked hopeful. They didn’t have to go through so much, which made doing what she did next make her feel worse. “You should go. I didn’t want family here.”

They both ignored for the moment that Kō was related to them both.

“Hinata, come on. he came – ” Sakura started.

“But I didn’t want him here. I’m sorry you wasted your time talking to him but Neji, you should just go. I have to go; we’re supposed to be getting there for tuning.” She didn’t wait for an answer, grabbing Sasuke’s arm and dragged him towards the stage door.

“Hinata, slow down.” he said.

“No! I can’t believe they did that.”

“They didn’t. I told him to come.” Sasuke said, making her stumble to a stop and turn to him.

She didn’t get to question him when the whole hallway was filled with terrified screams as a creature with a mask spun in pirouettes while brandishing a sword in place of an arm.

“The fuck?!”

Zetsu, the name for the creatures created with animals, or human souls now, and a parasite controlled by Pein.

______________________

“Your lucky that your violin wasn’t destroyed.” She was lucky her flute made it out unscathed, using it as a distraction against the Zetsu.

Before they could transform, the ballet Zetsu had attacked on Pein’s orders, hitting Neji and Kō and Sasuke standing in front of her to keep her protected, even if it left him flung across the room.

“A snapped string isn’t any better.” He said, fiddling with a loaner one he’d been able to get in the theatre, from the original orchestra that performed at the venue. He let Hinata lift his head to dab at the cut on his brow. “I’m surprised they didn’t just cancel this completely.”

“Donors sitting in the audience. They can wait, but if no one’s broken a bone, we go on. that, and they think it’s a sign perseverance with the creatures’ sudden appearance.” Hinata said, reciting what their conductor and orchestra leader had told them. “What did you mean before? About telling Neji to come?”

After the fight was over and Hinata found her brother and caretaker both ok, she tried one more time to get Neji to go to his conference. He pulled out a small bouquet of daisies from his blazer pocket, just like the same first one he gave ever.

“I thought that if I took head of the family, it would mean your father wouldn’t put so much pressure on you, that you could still be happy and play without having to worry about making your father happy. I know your,” at that time, Neji looked over at the doorway where the others were peaking around, including Neji’s guard. Sasuke was leaning against the doorway, the girls watching around them, looking bored. But she knew he was listening intently, “Current situation is leaving you with difficult decisions. I just didn’t want you to have to make you weren’t happy with. I’m sorry doing so made you think I didn’t care.”

Sasuke pulled away from the cloth, looking at the mirror they were seated next to in the dressing room. “I called him and told if he cared about you at all, to get his ass down here or I’d beat him with my violin.” He said so nonchalantly, pushing his bangs back to see how bad the cut was.

“What?”

“What? You wanted him there, even if you were protesting the whole time. Your family, except for Kō almost never comes. Be nice if someone you know cared was also in the audience.”

“So, you threatened him?”

Sasuke shrugged. “he was making you sad.”

“into the pit everyone!” the stage hand called.

“I think this will – what?” Sasuke asked, picking up his bow, loaner violin in hand.

Hinata pressed a kiss onto his cheek as she took her flute in hand. “Thank you.”

“yeah, yeah. Come on. we wait any longer, the ballerinas might be the ones to hurt us, not whatever that thing was.” Sasuke said, his ears red.

__________________

Hinata tried to ignore the looks. She wasn’t supposed to be at practise, she’d already called out. but she couldn’t be at the flower shop. Not with the nightmares and the arguments right on her mind.

“Hey.” Sasuke appeared in front of her, startling her. He looked worried. “Sakura just texted me. Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“I don’t want to talk about her. I’ve missed enough practises, so I’m here.”

“Yeah, but,” one of the obo players said, “you’re like always perfect and on point so everyone’s fine if you miss a few practises.”

Because people at the flower shop thought the sounds of her practising during work hours was enough of an excuse to come inside.

“I just don’t want to fail or mess up.”

That was as far as she was going to go on the subject and thankfully people dropped it. any questions were instead replaced with gossip being shared or teasing her about what bouquet she’d get next from Sasuke. It was their biggest performance since their summer concert. After the concert, the whole shop team had gone out to the beach and they experienced Mew Aqua. Mew Aqua had…

“Alright, shall we get started? Oh, Hyuuga, welcome back? Work cancelled?” the conductor asked.

“I quit.” She saw Sasuke looking at her over the heads of those sitting in the second violin section. “I want to focus on my music.”

“Oh, well. we’re happy to have you back. Let’s start with the first piece shall we? Hyuuga, keep up if you can.”

It was easy to lose herself in the music, thoughts of what her life had become after the earthquake, after she’d been combined with animal DNA, pushed as far as they went. People were fine to not ask questions as she easily kept pace, did her solos perfectly and easily corrected any mistakes. Sasuke was not people.

“Hey! hey, wait a second.” He called, following her when they were let out and yanking her to a stop. “You quit? You love working at the flower shop.”

“And now I don’t, can we let it go?”

Sasuke pulled her back, letting go when she pulled her arm away. “Sakura said you snapped at her for clocking out for a while to be with Naruto. You, who’s always gossiping with me about those two.”

Sakura was off being in love, wondering if she should tell Naruto about her pink cat secret while they were tasked with saving the world. Saving the world from aliens, who created creatures for them to stop. Some of them, stronger than they could handle. They wanted to wipe out humans and now they were finding out it was all for one thing. Mew Aqua, a mineral so pure, it interacted with the animal DNA they held. It gave her a tail. If she continued this, there was a chance full exposure would fully turn her into a mermaid, pull her away from Sasuke or fall right into the aliens’ hands and it would all be for nothing. She didn’t want to do it anymore. Neji put up with their family so she could do what she wanted. She didn’t want to be a hero anymore. What was the point?

“What is going on? will you just talk to me? You’ve been acting weird ever since you got back from that beach trip.”

“Just drop it! honestly at this point, I’m wondering why you even care. You haven’t done anything about us, so clearly I’m just something to sooth your ego. I’m tired of having to be at everyone’s beck and call, so just leave me the hell alone!”

She didn’t have to yell at Sasuke, not when he kept texting her apologizing for something that wasn’t his fault. She was fine that their relationship hadn’t moved forward, much as she wanted it to. Sasuke had been hurt by a Zetsu before, she wasn’t about to make him a massive target.

_________________

“So, he’s not worth fighting for? As scared as you are to do this, you don’t think Sakura has the right idea, focusing on Naruto as her reason to fight?”

“First an earthquake and then a mini flood? All with another monster?”

Hinata looked at Sasuke who came into the spare bedroom with the first aid kit. Screams and cries from another bedroom with the girls spilled into the room, cut when Sasuke closed the door behind him. When Hinata first transformed, Sasuke rushed over the minute he was told. This time he didn’t have to wait for a call. He’d come over, hoping to try one more time to talk to Hinata when he spotted the attack Temari caused to her room. Her shadowboxes were fine, if only a bit bent and mixed up. As much as she wanted to yell at the older girl for attack her home like that, she made a fair point.

Sasuke was her reason to fight. The fighting and what would happen scared her, but the aliens winning and losing Sasuke hurt more.

“Do they still hurt?”

Another one of Temari’s attacks had left her with scraps and bruises, plus a cut or two. She’d been about to attack Cinna, who followed Sasuke around like he was also his owner. The bird Mew really knew how to get her where it hurt.

“No.” she hadn’t said much to Sasuke when she got back to the mansion, her friends in tow. All he’d done was squeeze her tight and question why she and the others were soaking wet, listening to Sakura complain about getting caught in the flood. He didn’t even ask why Hinata was in her pyjamas and the others were in their work uniforms. She kept thinking of what she said after practise.

Sasuke grabbed her legs, turning her so they rested on his lap. Cinna, who’d been snuggled in her arms since coming in from outside with TenTen, wriggled for Hinata to let him go. He stuck his head under Sasuke’s hand, begging for pets.

“Spoiled.” He says, giving in before focusing on the first aid kit. He cleaned off the scratches on Hinata’s knees, before focusing on a cut near her ankle.

“I’m sorry.” She said, twisting the skirt of her nightdress in her hands without Cinna in them to keep her occupied. “I, what I said.”

“You’re not wrong.” Sasuke interrupted, tying off the gauze with a piece of medical tape. “I don’t normally wait around to do what I’m told. We’ve had plenty of instances were I should have just done it, regardless, but I didn’t. Hinata, I meant what I said at the park, I love you. that hasn’t changed and I’m sorry if I made you feel like it has.”

“I got scared.” She confessed. “everything that’s happening, I don’t know how Sakura can be so happy with Naruto with all the attacks. I got scared, that it’s all going to be ripped away.”

She hadn’t been looking at Sasuke, so she didn’t see him lean closer, just felt his fingers move her head up. Sasuke’s lips pressed against hers, leaving her breath shuttering.

“I’m not going anywhere. Ok, not unless you tell me to.” Sasuke promised.

Hinata closed her eyes and kissed Sasuke, pulling him closer by his jacket. She let out a startled squeak when Sasuke pulled her onto his lap by her legs, Cinna barking in annoyance from all the moving, but neither listened to him as Sasuke put his hand on her cheek and pulled her down for another kiss.

“Hey, what’s all the – oh!” Sakura yelled, causing the two musicians to pull away, Hinata red and Sasuke glaring.

“Do you knock?”

“Ignore me, we were never here. just drop her off when you’re done.” Sakura called, the other girls giggling as the door shut behind them.

Hinata couldn’t help but laugh as she hid her face in Sasuke neck when he groaned. “she’s not gonna let me live that down.”

“Payback, for whenever you find her and Naruto.” Hinata said, moving so she could look at Sasuke. “Was that…?”

“Me tired of waiting. Sorry I didn’t do it earlier.”

Things would be harder now. There would be times that saving the world would have to trump Sasuke, where lying to him would be the best way to keep him safe.

“You left me waiting a while.” She said, deciding to ignore that for now.

“Well, I’ve got you until Sakura gets bored of waiting.” Sasuke said, kissing her again.

Being a Mew was hard to put in words beyond scary and more pressure inducing than her family. But she gained new friends, new skills and realised sometimes waiting wasn’t worth it. she didn’t know how this fight would end, she just knew she’d have Sasuke when the final battle approached, even if she permanently gained a tail.

[daifukumochiin]

Summary: Sasuke's orderly life at elite Sairiumu Academy is disrupted by the arrival of Hinata, a timid transfer student whose obvious crush on him, a young man dedicated to his craft and his current relationship, stirs unease. (Initial SasuSaku with SasuHina endgame, modern Norse myth AU, high school, angst, romance, photography, postmodern-ish fic). Rated T

LIGHTS,

BOWS, and

MISTLETOES

an entry for SasuHina Month 2024, Day 27 : Forget and Remember

(for peachy-hina, since December)

@sasuhinamonth

ffnet: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14369143/1/Lights-Bows-and-Mistletoes

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57030778

Part 1: Lights

go to Chapter List>

v

The small white flower with a sunny yellow center and a wiry stem catching Sasuke's eye under his desk the next morning seemed inconspicuous enough to ignore. He wondered how it got there—perhaps someone had sat at his desk—but his main concern was whether anything had been disturbed. Upon inspection, everything seemed intact; no scribbles were left in his notes like the ones from his grade school days declaring I love you’s. This was Sairiumu, he reminded himself; not an ordinary school filled with snot-nosed kids from pesky neighborhoods. 

Then the sightings continued: it turned up in the gap of his locker, under his umbrella, even wedged in the seam of his car door by the driver’s seat. This strange occurrence persisted until the day of the photography club's orientation.  

To become a bonafide member of Sairiumu's prestigious photography club, candidates must rank in the top fifty of the qualifying exhibition. The previous year, it had been to a jury of select faculty on the theme of “Divinity”; naturally, Sasuke achieved top scores. This year, the club decided on an open anonymous exhibition subject to the votation of the student body. As for the theme, Sasuke couldn’t care less. He wasn’t paying attention to the meeting when it happened—whatever the recruitment committee head suggested, whatever the others voted for, he okayed it and presented it to the potential recruits during the orientation.

Not that he was agreeable.

Far from it.

Everyone in the studio who had suffered Sasuke’s relentless scrutiny knew better than to cross him. His temper is not for the weak of heart. Any aspiring hobbyist photographer who looked up to him because of the tender sensibilities that his works portrayed in famous photography magazines risked bruising their illusions of him. But already, freshmen none the wiser who signed up for the club flocked around him asking for autographs and pictures.

Sasuke indulged them; nothing too untamed that it should bother him so much. He loved good-humored attention in heaps, but not the extreme kind. 

Amid all the fawning clamor, he caught a whiff of that blueberry scent, and that was enough to make him guarded, his accommodating smile vanishing from his face.

“Senpai? If you don’t mind one more pic…” requested one of the freshmen when he made an about-face. 

He didn't find her there. She hadn’t bothered him in class or followed him and Sakura home since the subway train incident. That had also been the last time he’d been wary of her. She had stayed out of his periphery and it assured him that she was practically harmless at that point. During the orientation, he had also been too preoccupied to notice if she attended.

“Sorry. Some other time,” said Sasuke. “We need to make preparations and you could really use the time to think about your entries.”

Disappointed, the freshmen hesitated to press him further seeing how his mood took a 180-degree turn.

As the crowd dissipated and the auditorium was emptied leaving only Sasuke and his core club members, recruitment committee head Tenten pointed out, “You’ve got a cute, little thing there,” nodding at his chest pocket.

Sasuke scrunched his brows and looked down his nose. He found the small white flower he had been finding everywhere peeking up at him and retrieved it. “I think someone’s playing mind games with me.”

Tenten burst into laughter. “With chamomile?” she asked incredulously. “Looking at it closely, that must be a wild chamomile—a weed!”

Sasuke responded with a disapproving click of his tongue. "It must be a form of harassment," he remarked.

The others, preoccupied with indulging in premium donuts and delicate afternoon tea treats, overheard the exchange and dismissed it as 'almost neurotic' with lighthearted amusement, not taking Sasuke's comment seriously following Tenten—they savored the instant as much as they did their luxurious delicacies; it was such a rare opportunity, a happenstance that boosted budding protestations to surface.

But Morio, his classmate and club vice president, said:

“So you think Hinata Hyuuga’s harassing you?” 

At the mention of her name, Sasuke's jaws clenched, perturbed by a flood of feelings he couldn't comprehend: angry, that he thought his concerns about Hinata had been done away with; disturbed, by the possibility of the little show he and Sakura put on the other day not being enough to dissuade further attempts from her.

Their laughter ceased; their tea suddenly lukewarm; the scones turning bland due to the nervousness that the palpable tension in the air around Sasuke could so easily induce upon them.

"How so?" Sasuke cautiously asked. How did Morio come up with the notion? He never told anyone. Apart from him, only Sakura knew.

“Gotta hand it to you—she is weird,” added Morio who kept his calm. “Thought you had a flirtatious affair going on when I saw her slip it in…”—he took a sip from a Ginori, amusement dancing in his eyes—“Thought I had witnessed you cheating on your girl.” 

There, Sasuke determined he had enough. Bogged down by the thought of the paranoia she caused him since meeting her for the first time at Hashirama’s bridge in the rain, of the sleepless nights thinking about her and what she said, of the confusion about whether any of it had anything to do with him at all—because she made it seem like he did when really, he doesn't—he quickly excused himself from the rest and exited the auditorium.

While crossing the central courtyard to reach Cluster B where his classroom was, he stumbled upon Hinata by the central fountain. Heart caught in his throat, Sasuke discovered that words had deserted him.

What was he trying to say? How is he the worst at confrontations having nothing to do with photography?

The fountain's gentle rhythm mirrored the turbulent emotions coursing through him, mingling with the rustling leaves from the bower of Linden trees lining the adjacent paths.

There was an unspoken intensity trammeling as it coursed the air when their eyes met. Hinata stood there, her expression a portrait of shock as if she were a cat caught mid-theft, frozen and wide-eyed, as during that time at Hashirama’s bridge, holding her breath, faintly searching for recognition in his eyes, where there stood none.

For a heartbeat, the world seemed to fall away, leaving just the two of them in silent, differing agonies.

Maybe it served his peace of mind best to ask what she meant by her words then. On the other hand, Sasuke feared she'd take it as tacit permission to do whatever she so desired; whatever that is, he could only conjure to mind the worst things from experience. He doesn’t know her, she doesn’t know him. And if she ever does know about him through magazines or the internet, he won’t indulge whoever fan with any of their delusions in parasocial relationships.

Finally gaining chutzpah, Sasuke held out the flower clenched in his right, and with a pang of cruel satisfaction when he saw expectation gripped Hinata's face, threw it on the fountain where it floated momentarily before being carried away, shaking against the ripples.

Hinata gasped. Her eyes widened further, lips trembling as she bit back words that seemed desperate to escape.

“So it is you,” Sasuke confirmed. “Stop while I’m still asking nicely.”

“But–” she began, her voice barely a whisper.

“Don’t follow me around," Sasuke interrupted, his tone harsher than he intended. "My girlfriend doesn’t appreciate it, and neither do I. Stop before the worst things happen to you.”

It wouldn’t be his worst sin; being cruel to her like this is also kindness on his part. Sasuke appeased his raging conscience with that thought. "And if you're looking for someone... You’re sorely mistaken. That person is not me."

go to Chapter List>

[kia8088]

Author Note: found this in my Notes. Damn, i used to be writingggg. Anyway super short, implied SasuHina. Unfinished.

::

:::

Living Single

He wasn’t a cheater nor a player. He wasn’t a terrible person. He never truly hurt her, never truly yelled...but never truly put up a fight. He wasn’t...

“Shit,” whispered Ino, sucking her thumb. She waved her hand and grumbled at the lighter in her finger. Hinata watched her finger struggle, she wanted to help but she was just as drunk. Drunk Hinata was no help to anyone.

“Bitch, give it to me,” said Sakura. “If you didn’t have those long ass nails—“

“Don’t be such a hater,” said Ino. Cackling her nails against the red cup in her hand.

Hinata smiled at her friend. They were overdramatic in the best way. Sakura has finally decided to rid herself of her boy problems, which they all kind of decided, but Sakura decided they needed a Homegoing...like a funeral for all the fucks that were lost in the process.

Truth be told, Hinata had been single for a while. Hell, she broke up with him. It was just painful because she didn’t want to. She wanted to be deeply in love, get married, have kids and a puppy...she also knew the man that he is...he would never be able to make her happy.

She sighed.

TenTen plopped down beside her. “Cheer up.”

“I am.”

“Yeah right,” she patted Hinata’s lap. “Can’t fool me, girl.”

She lifted the cup to her lips. Liquor and burying feelings did not belong together. She wanted to let go, honestly. She also wanted him to bust through her door and realize that he could be the man she wanted.

“He won’t change. He doesn’t even understand what he did wrong,” said Hinata just 3 weeks ago. Tears in her eyes. “I love him...but I know he can’t love me like I deserve.”

Saying it out loud was more painful.

Now...

Now she just wanted to start over and experience real love.

[pamelaiscrying]

SasuHina children would be those fashionable futuristic,opium core, i-listen-to-playboicarti kids.

[p-crowds]

Hii there. Can you pls recs some married sasuhina with kids fic?

Hello hello!

Surprisingly, not much SasuHina with kids that I've read xD. Here's the list anyway.

A is for Uchiha by College n Curls

SasuHina journey in starting their little family. It's Modern AU, big chapters, and got a pretty dominant side pairing (you'll find that one out easily). Very recommended. Anything of CC-sensei's is anyway.

Prequel: Sleeping with the Enemy

2. Mi fortuna son mis hijos y mis padres by El Reino

I've reviewed this fic on my other post (link below). Also, a must read.

3. Read When  by Hanajima-Senpai

I've also reviewed this one. Caution: major character death 😭. OVERFILLED with ANGST. A sequel to Coral & Seafoam.

4. Sweet Union by crazygurl12

In-Universe SasuHina with kids basically. I read this a long time ago... but legit stuff.

5. Her First by Kia-B

Many firsts of SasuHina's child. Warm and cute!

6. Slapstick by antioedipus

Sasuke finding out about Baby number 2. Sooo cute, relaxed, warm, sweeet, exquisite, so easy to consume in your lazy days.

Thank you for the ask! As usual, it took time, but anything you guys asked would live in my head rentfree that I'd definitely look more into it.

Other links to explore:

Completed Fanfics Recommendation List

Another Fanfics Recommendation

Fanfic Authors Recommendation List

[a-ghost-that-writes]

A Neji x Sakura One-shot

For: @narutorarepaireventhub & Neji x Sakura Weekend

Prompt:  Cherry Blossom Viewing

Honorable mentions: SasuHina

It couldn't have been a more perfect day for a cherry blossom viewing. The sun was shinning, not a cloud in the sky. It wasn't too hot, a nice breeze blowing as well. All the cherry blossom trees were thriving, with petals flying around decorating the area. Needless to say, it was very aesthetically pleasing.

Families and others around the village were enjoying the event. There were different food stalls as well as small vendors selling cherry blossomed themed stuff too. Neji and Sakura was one of the many guests there.

Dressed for the occasion, the married couple were there with their three kids. The twin boys Sadaharu and Naohiro were ten years old and happily indulging in the different games with their friends from class. Their daughter Sayuri was five and she was enjoying some hanami dango with her cousins Harumi and Hikaru, they were Sasuke and Hinata's daughters of the same age.

While the children were having fun, the adults were sitting around at different picnic spots enjoying the festivities. Talking and enjoying the food and drinks. Neji was with Sasuke and Naruto. The trio of men were just chatting, Naruto did most of that, reminiscing about the old days. Meanwhile Sakura was with Hinata, Ino and Tenten. The group of four were happily chatting about a wide range of different topics.

All in all it was a truly wonderful day in the village. As the sunset and the day concluded, everyone bid their goodbyes to one another. Sadaharu and Naohiro walked with their father, talking and boasting about all the different prizes they won. Sayuri walked with their mother talking about all the fun they had with their cousins. All three of their children couldn't wait for the next one next year.

[aloeverified]

ough i love arranged marriage sasuhina fics, but i feel like a lot of people interpret them as hiashi trying to get rid of hinata when it'd kinda be the other way around.

if you're talking about stories where sasuke and hinata are arranged to be married from a young age, it leans more towards fugaku trying to find sasuke a place to be since he wouldn't be the heir.

i mean, itachi is the perfect heir — he's one of the best shinobi to come out of the uchiha clan, and since sasuke wasn't nearly as impressive as his older brother was during his childhood, it's likely that fugaku realized sasuke wouldn't surpass him and didn't consider him as an option as the heir.

hinata, however, is the heir of the hyūga clan (at least, at the time of the arrangement she was). hiashi was aware of her weaknesses, though, and thought that having her marry someone from konoha's military clan would help her improve. in addition to that, any worries about hinata having weak children could be washed away as they would have a combination or even new kind of kekkai genkai.

along with that, the hyūga clan would still have control over any of the kids that came from the marriage; giving the hyūga power of the uchiha clan as they'd have access to their kekkai genkai — i imagine this would've been a motivating factor for hisashi and the hyūga council.

as the uchiha clan, i actually believe them too be much more caring than the hyūga. despite knowing sasuke wouldn't be as strong as itachi, i think fugaku would still want sasuke to have some position of power rather than being just another uchiha shinobi. marrying the hyūga heiress, one of the most powerful and prestigious clans in konoha who have a similar ability to them, and helping lead over the hyūga clan is probably what fugaku thought best for him. it would also give itachi and sasuke something they have in common.

after the uchiha massacre, i imagine it was called off, however — though some members might of still wanted it consider sasuke did survive. but after hanabi was born and hiashi decided to make her heir, it was final the deal was off.

i kind of prefer these type of arranged marriage stories over others because it showcases why both clans would agree with it and kind of lines up with canon. plus the ending can differ however you want — maybe hinata and sasuke were childhood friends because of the agreement and talk about it when they're older and realize they do want to get married afterall; maybe sasuke knew about it when he was younger and tries to use it as leverage when he's older to help restore the uchiha clan while also slowly growing to be friends with the girl he used to know.

i think the later one also goes back to the other most popular type of sasuhina arranged marriage type, where sasuke makes a deal with the hyūga upon arriving back to konoha in order to restore his clan. with hinata no longer the heiress, the hyūga clan are happy to pon her off for their benefits. sasuke and hinata slowly grow to know about it each other, with sasuke starting to realize he can have a family again and hinata finally knowing what it's like to be accepted into a clan.

[lavender-long-stories]

For the WIP Name Game, Full House? Inquiring minds (me) need to know!

Full House is a fun one.

Picture two dads, Hiashi and Fugaku, trying to raise all 5 kids. Two single dads, after the wives passed away/left. They have a drink together and decide that they can raise them all in one house.

This is one of @nikandrros favorites. (They are begging for it to be old men yaoi.)

I think it would be chaotic and sweet, but I would not feel comfortable making it SasuHina or ItaHina because they would be raised from a young age as siblings.

So, the love interest would have to be someone all Hinata's 'brothers' would dislike. Itachi's brawler friend, Kisame. (aged down to go to school with him)

Itachi because he doesn't like how Kisame gets into fights. Sasuke doesn't want Hinata to get hurt again. (Naruto) Neji doesn't want her to have a boyfriend, period. Hanabi, I think, would be down for it, but she is the gremlin youngest.

I think the family dynamic would be hilarious, but it might be a little difficult to write.

This post is referring to my WIP Name Game Post

[fallen-in-dreams]

Wide Awake At 3 A.M.

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Also on AO3. Pairing: Sasuke/Hinata. Summary: Sasuke didn't believe in fate but serendipity seemed to be working overtime when she walked back into his life. Written for SasuHinaMonth 2023 on tumblr. Prompt: Day 27 | "I’ve loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more.” Rated: T. Words: 9,245. Status: Complete. Author note: I love SasuHina. I don't love writing Sasuke's POV. I think I write SasuHina better from Hinata's perspective. But this had to be Sasuke's perspective so please bare with me. I did my best to make him IC/relatable, even though it's AU. Let me know if I succeeded. :) Also: The italic sections are flashbacks. But don't worry, they're not long sections. For the record: Yotsuya Uemura is a real restaurant but I've only seen it on Google so I don't know if it 100% matches how I describe it here so just pretend it does, okay? Enjoy. ^_^ Tags on AO3: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee Shop AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Light Romance, Romance, POV Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke-centric, Pining, Pining Uchiha Sasuke, Unrequited Love, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Sasuke has it bad, Past Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending

It's late but before the cut-off time,  for SasuHinaMonth 2023. Thank-you to @sasuhinamonth for the amazing fest and the chance to write for it. :) .

It was a dreary November morning when Sasuke Uchiha had realised that he was in love with Hinata Hyuuga.

The red-crowned cranes were enjoying the winter in the nearby marshes, visible to the hundreds of students at Konoha High School, the beautiful display of their black and white plumage blending in with the falling snow. The setting was perfect. It was beautiful. Sasuke liked winter best, despite being born in summer. And maybe in spite of it.  It was a dreary reminder of the angsty, emo boy within. It was also the only thing worth paying attention to at the school.

Until he started paying attention to her.

She was his best friend’s girlfriend. Hinata had stalked Naruto for years, hiding behind poles and doors and teacher’s desks to avoid being seen; and everyone except for the dobe saw knew she was doing it. All throughout elementary school she was a ghost to the blond idiot; the shadow he saw in the corner of his eye that disappeared the moment he turned around. The sound of a thump, indicating she’d fainted was the only evidence she’d been there because he was too stupid to investigate further.

The three years of middle school went very much the same except Hinata didn’t hide so well anymore. Naruto finally noticed her. She would “eep” and faint again and he just chalked it up to her being the weird kid he’d never understand. He thought she was new to their school so he cut her a break. Having been Naruto’s friend since neither of them could walk, Sasuke could only roll his eyes at his obliviousness.

Then came high school and everything changed. Something had happened during the holidays because, come April, she had grown a spine. She still looked light-headed in Naruto’s presence but didn’t faint. She started talking; responding with small, stuttering sentences when he turned his bright, obnoxious personality on her. She was a person to him now. More than just weird.

Sasuke however, was content to just keep seeing her as the annoying girl who liked the even more annoying boy. Until the annoying people started dating and Naruto began including Hinata in their everyday activities, whether it had anything to do with her or not. He hated it at first but like an extra slice of tomato on his fried egg breakfast, she grew on him. She was a person and had likes and dislikes and hobbies and things that made her laugh or cry. He began to enjoy her voice and found himself looking forward to school. And like the red-crowned cranes that grazed in the freshwater marshes next door to their high school, Hinata became a thing of beauty in Sasuke’s eyes. By virtue of existing in an area that he couldn’t ignore.

And he both loved and hated her for it. Strong feelings were never a good thing, in any direction. Itachi had long since told him that their family had a history of letting emotions rule their lives. It was best to keep them away from the world - Sasuke's words, not his brother's. But there was only so much he could contain and control when it came to her.

And he was the selfish bastard who let it ruin everything.

.:.

Sasuke Uchiha was having multiple problems.

First problem: the hole-in-the-wall cafe he normally frequented at this time of night had closed down without warning for the foreseeable future. It had been the perfect place to hole up in for a few hours while he worked on his laptop, earphones in and fingers dancing over the keyboard. Quiet, no-one staring at him, and with waiters who respected his personal space. Company policy allowed him to stay and work as long as he made it worth their time. Now, he wasn't so sure about this new place.

Second problem: it had taken him the better part of two hours to find this newer restaurant his good-for-nothing friends had recommended to him over WhatsApp after he'd ranted calmly about the predicament, in true Uchiha style. He officially hated that app. His night was wasted walking up alleyways and hopping on buses, with the presumption of a second coming of the holy hole-in-the-wall cafe. Wasted.

Third problem: this new cafe was less hole-in-the-wall and cosy, and more ostentatious with fake wholesomeness. The promise had been for a quiet, out-of-the-way, old-fashioned service. The reality was anything but, at first glance. It was definitely off the beaten path, but he wouldn’t describe it as peaceful or discreet in any way. It made his eye twitch.

Fourth problem: he had nowhere else to go at such short notice and lots of work to catch up on.

The neon signs above the restaurant leered down at him and he did not want to go in there. He wanted to go home, put his feet up, drink his instant coffee and procrastinate as a form of protest. But the sensible side of him had Sasuke moving forward slowly, reminding himself that he couldn't keep putting this particular project. It needed to get done. So what if this restaurant wasn’t the cute little traditional Japanese hole-in-the-wall (or even a sushi or ramen stall) in the middle of bustling Tokyo that he had been promised? He told himself it didn't matter that it was high-end and in the middle of bustling Tokyo. He tried in vain to ignore that it was mocking him; lights blinked at him and he scowled at the ugly sight and he couldn't look more out of place in his casual, everyday clothes. He was surprised a butler-like person hadn't run out to shoo him away.

But this place was the last food establishment along the palisades of this busy Tokyo area that was still seating patrons (the rest were packed to the rafters), and if he went home now it would take over an hour. By the time he got home, Sasuke would be too exhausted to work. It would be annoying. Even more than actually stepping into this poor excuse for a hideaway. Sasuke debated the pros and cons over and over again for a moment before allowing himself to be carried by the line of people waiting to be seated. Decision reluctantly made, Sasuke hugged his four thousand yen Vaio laptop to his chest, waiting his turn to be seated. It looked like the kind of place that required an appointment and a line of lawyers to get in, but a sign to the left distinctly said otherwise. He guessed they would reach their occupancy limit soon and he’d be turned away.

Please turn me away.

It would remove any responsibility on himself to make the decision on whether or not to keep walking forward. He checked his wristwatch as the line moved forward again. It was just after midnight. He sighed, swallowing his anxiety as the hostess bowed to the middle-aged couple in front of him and then extended her arm to them to take their seats. 

Last chance to make a break for it.

He really was being a drama queen, but Sasuke couldn't help it. He forced himself to calm down and accidentally caught the stare of the hostess. Her soft but excited voice called over to him a moment later and he stepped forward once more.

"Irasshaimase!"

The restaurant hostess bowed respectfully before looking at him properly. Her double-take, which she covered up with a light cough and a fake smile, made Sasuke’s eye twitch. Again.

Don’t tell me…

“Mr Uchiha?”

Don’t they teach manners in this place?

The woman's face looked flushed with excitement. She’d recognised him. Even without an entourage or sign above his head, Sasuke Uchiha was easily identifiable as such. It was why he preferred quieter places and dark corners. There it was; it was either a stomach ache or an ulcer. It churned inside of him and he winced. The Mr Uchiha title always made him think of his father. He loathed being recognised for his family. He was no longer the idiotic teenager who got off on it. Nursing heartbreak and lashing out had turned him into an arsehole who flaunted his superiority. But not anymore. The way the hostess was raking his body with her eyes was both unprofessional and unwelcome.

Someone behind Sasuke cleared their throat. He was holding up the line. Or rather, she was. Sasuke still had two choices: neither or which would have a happy ending.

What would Itachi do?

He’d be polite and suffer for a few hours to make others feel better.

Idiot.

Sasuke sighed deeply, nodded to the hostess, and grimaced at her juvenile reaction. “Table for one, please. Work table, out of the way.”

Hopefully, she got the hint he’d pay extra for it if necessary. Seemingly gathering herself and remembering she was on the clock, the hostess nodded and bowed again, extending her arm the way she’d done for the couple before him. She took the lead this time, however, making him cringe outwardly again. The table she chose was everything he’d wanted it to be and he offered her a small smile in gratitude. Thankfully, she didn’t make a big deal of it this time, giving him a much shorter once-over before politely leaving him alone.

His table was almost like a cubicle which suited him just fine. From ramen restaurants to Yakitori and Kare Raisu, he’d tried all the ones that Tokyo had to offer. All the good ones anyway. No matter the setup, privacy was always his top priority. He settled down, placing his laptop on the table and his bag on the chair next to him, leaving space for food and a drink. Already his mind was going over the project he had to finish tonight; Sasuke had a few hours before the final bus of the night would be running through these parts. But if he had any trouble, an Uber wouldn't be a problem. Not preferable, but not really a problem.

But first things first.

There were waitresses taking orders as well as a front counter but Sasuke didn't want to deal with either one of them and instead chose to use the QR code on the table to order on his phone. The first time he’d heard of this method of ordering it had kind of freaked him out initially, but since it would help him avoid having to interact with a potential fangirl masquerading as a professional waitress (for longer than necessary, anyway) or stand behind people or in front of someone with no respect for his personal space he would do it. It cut out the middleman, so to speak, and allowed him to get down to the important business of the night.

As he waited, Sasuke woke up his laptop and opened Atom. After about five minutes, and as expected, his drink came first. Sasuke always wondered about this; was the drink delivered first to keep the customer from leaving during the extended wait time for the food or so that when he did finally eat, he would feel compelled to order another drink to wash it down with? Or some combination of both?

The sounds of the restaurant blurred into the background and became white noise as Sasuke worked, glasses on and eyes glued to the CSS Script. He only knew it only took forty-five minutes for his meal to be delivered because he checked the time before and after. When the Okonomiyaki was finally placed in front of him and the aroma invaded his senses his stomach growled. Sasuke nodded to the waitress as she bowed to him, a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks before leaving with a Cheshire grin on her face. He just rolled his eyes. Sasuke had just finished cutting up his Okonomiyaki, preparing to eat it with chopsticks in one hand so he could continue working when something familiar caught his eye.

He didn't believe in fate but serendipity seemed to be working overtime tonight.

His heart was racing, belied by the calm on his face as he almost choked on his saliva. Sasuke coughed a few times before reaching to down the last of his ice water. He cleared his throat and looked back over at Hinata Hyuuga. Even after the passage of all these years, he would recognize that long dark hair of hers anywhere (even tied back in the mandatory style for workers of this restaurant). This entire time, in the corner of his eye, and in another seated area, had been an achingly familiar form; those slim but not stick-skinny hips with legs that rested with knees turned slightly inward, and breasts that screamed for attention without being obnoxiously in his face. Yes, he remembered the curves and the tones of the body that came with being from a martial arts enthusiastic family.

The one he'd fantasised about like a love-sick puppy when his hormones still ruled his life.

He inhaled deeply, absentmindedly stabbing his Okonomiyaki with the end of a chopstick, then let his breath out in a shuddering sigh. The sweet, innocent face that had haunted his dreams until he'd succeeded in forcing his school memories into a mental box labelled "do not open, even in the event of an apocalypse" was turned to a customer but he could still clearly spot the trademark lavender-white Hyuuga eyes. They lit up with her smile.

Sasuke didn't care that it was unbecoming of him and continued to stare as he inattentively picked at the Okonomiyaki before grabbing a bite-sized portion of the now-diced savoury dish and shoving it in his mouth. The cursor at the end of the last line of code he typed blinked at him. He ignored it. And he paid no attention to the fact that his glasses had slid down his nose an inch; they were for reading on a computer screen and had made the near-distant objects fuzzy, which he blamed for not having noticed her sooner.

Her presence begged more questions than he was willing to ask himself. But at the very least, what the fuck was the oldest daughter of Hiashi Hyuuga doing working in the service industry? It was beneath the uptight clan. He knew Hinata was not stuck up like her father but surely there were more Hyuuga-like jobs she could do? He remembered a girl who was determined to follow her own path but constantly worried about disappointing her father. Sasuke had presumed she'd find something that filled both desires. Not that there was anything wrong with the retail and hospitality industries. He'd had his own stint in them, so he knew they weren't the jobs of losers like his own father had kept saying years ago.

I'm just very confused how she got here.

This was not a future she'd contemplated and he'd know: she'd once spent an afternoon indulging Naruto in the topic when the blond idiot was whining about having failed the standardised test to get into the university of his choice. She's humoured him with all the alternative career paths, and this wasn't one they'd decided on. But that was life, he guessed, even though it made him painfully curious as to why she wasn't working as one of the many father-approved ideas she'd mentioned as she'd apparently planned.

Sasuke’s stomach churned and did somersaults as he watched her, unable to look away.

What is she doing here?

Sasuke cleared his throat and shook his head, forcing himself to look away; though she was still there in his peripherals and his traitorous eyes desperately soaked her in, from afar. He tried to focus on his work, finishing off the black coffee he'd ordered, to wash down the Okonomiyaki he'd consumed without realising during his staring spell.

I'm as bad as those fangirls.

He tried, he really did. But nothing was working. Sasuke couldn't stop wondering about her. He hadn’t thought of Hinata in a long while. Years. No, not in a long time. He’d successfully purged her from his thoughts. From his wants. From his needs. Buried her down in his mind, underneath the childhood trauma and repressed heartbreak. It had been almost like a breakup; Sasuke had gone through a period of emotional upheaval and consumed hobbies and alcohol in order to forget her. He’d moped and sulked and all those cliche things, in his own way.  She was behind him, and not in the way he wanted her to be.

Sasuke had been on the road to recovery and was able to put that part of his life into a locked box in his head.

Until now.

Maybe she didn’t remember him. Maybe he could finish his work and she’d never even seen him. One could only hope it would be that easy. But no. He couldn’t risk it. He had to leave. Sasuke almost packed up his stuff and left right then and there. He had no desire to play catch-up after all this time. To hear about how good things had been since she'd lived her life with the dobe. Jealousy burned in his gut and he grabbed the carry bag for his laptop by the straps, clenching his fist over it tightly. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to force the old but familiar feelings away. He'd done such a good job at ignoring them for so long. How could he possibly have predicted this strong of a reaction after all these years? Weren't high school love interests meant to dwindle over the years? Why the fuck did he still feel this way?

His self-flagellation was interrupted by an angelic sound. Her laughter. The melodic sound drifted over to his table and he paused. His heart was racing once more and his hands were clammy. Even now, five years later, he was still such a sucker for her. Where was the dobe? Had they married? Did he even want to know? There was a reason he didn't know. He remembered Hinata as a stuttering but determined, beautiful mess. But now, looking at her confidently interacting with strangers like she was born to it, he felt a warmth spread through his body. It wasn’t the coffee working its way through his system. This was different.

And it doesn't even matter. She wouldn't care.

Resigning himself to the inevitable, Sasuke packed up his laptop and left the restaurant without looking back. Except for that moment when he could've sworn she was looking around as if just realising she'd forgotten something. She didn't see him pause and gaze at her one last time. But those distinctive eyes seemingly searched for him anyway. In his dreams.

He hadn’t seen her since high school. He was never supposed to see her ever again.

.:.

Nobody ever accused Sasuke Uchiha of being magnanimous, sweet, or kind-hearted in any way. They didn’t confuse him for his brother no matter how much they might look alike. While Itachi was off helping the local homeless center and being the perfect Uchiha heir, Sasuke was smoking pot - or whatever had been shoved under his nose this week - and availing himself of his fangirls. Everyone came to assume he was the troubled child who acted out because he didn't get the attention from his parents that he wanted. Nobody ever accused him of being fair and altruistic to others.

Except her.

She got in his head. Hinata Hyuuga thought that because he was Naruto’s best friend that he should be hers as well. She was adamant but gentle in her attempts to woo him into her good graces. As though friendship was the most wonderful thing in the world. He wasn't an arsehole, not really. Sasuke had a heart. He just kept it hidden away. As far as he was concerned, getting emotional was embarrassing. It was for children . So pushing her away wasn't just about avoiding spending time with the girlfriend of his best friend, who he happened to be in love with, but also to keep himself from doing anything stupid.

He thought he could do it. It only took him a year to fall in love. They had two more years of high school left together. He had to do it. His father would never understand why he had to switch schools so suddenly. He wouldn't care. It would be unthinkable. Rumours, lies, or truth, would follow him and make Fugaku look bad. He was not an understanding nor forgiving man. Sasuke had to pretend: for his own sanity. Hinata was his new best friend.

So he let her greet him at the bus stop after school. He let her hug him "hello" her breasts pressing up against him every time. And on the rainy days when he was feeling particularly friend-like about the whole thing he let her borrow his second, backup umbrella. He'd started bringing a spare one because she seemed to have no idea how to check for the weather. She'd thanked him and then started humming.

"What are you doing out here, in the rain?" He'd ask her every time.

“Waiting on Naruto-kun,” she would say, and he'd go quiet to avoid hearing her gushing about the dobe in question.

That was their routine in the rainy season, which he'd grown to love almost as much as her. Except for the one time he forgot, it seemed the gods had answered his unasked question on how to change up this habit and Sasuke genuinely forgot both umbrellas. And she remembered. She'd remembered. And it kind of killed him inside. She offered to him and he was tempted to ignore her. To start off this change with abruptness and see if he could break her into going along with it. But he couldn't.

He sighed and took the umbrella gently from her hand, making sure to avoid brushing against her hand. When she shifted her hold on it, their skin grazed and she blushed at him. He dared not look her in the eye after that. Those soft, curious eyes were boring into him and he knew what she was thinking. The poor rich boy that she wanted to be okay with her relationship with his friend; why was he so rude? What did she have to do to help him be okay with her?

He didn’t know why it mattered to her.

Sasuke didn’t bother saying, “thank-you” as he stepped out into the rain and walked away with her umbrella without looking back.

He couldn’t do this anymore. He had to run away. And she let him go.

.:.

That weak, love-sick part of him was back with a vengeance.

Sasuke was determined to return his life to the humdrum existence it had been before she’d walked back into it, unknowingly throwing him into emotional chaos. He couldn't go back to his usual hole-in-the-wall but there were others out there. Others he'd walked past that night due to laws involving occupancy limitations; and a festival at the time, he'd realised in hindsight, which explained a lot. There were a number of small hidey-holes he could disappear into. They matched his aesthetics better and really, it was for the best. He'd avoided her for five years, never googling either of them, and never interacting with anyone who used to know anyone he'd gone to school with. He could move on to another cafe restaurant. He tried them all.

But none of them felt right anymore.

So, Sasuke gave up, just staying at home to work and doing his best to recreate the coffee shop ambiance in his kitchen. He threw open windows and let the noise of his neighbourhood blast into his home to simulate the busy Tokyo Yotsuya Arakicho district. His favourite pastime was walking. He normally walked for miles every day. He decided to double that and start earlier. It woke him up better than coffee some days. It envigorated him in a way that sex hadn't for a while. And it gave him time to think about his day while also distracting him enough to not let his mind wander too far.

But it wasn’t the same. There was something missing. He knew what it was and now that he'd gotten a sneak peek the idea wouldn't leave him alone. It left a gaping hole in his psyche. Therefore, his resolve to avoid Yotsuya Uemura Restaurant and the serendipitous siren only lasted a week. He couldn’t help himself. Like an idiot teenager in love and doped up on hormones, he lay in bed at night remembering her smile, her laugh, and replaying every moment of his up-to-date memory of her in vivid detail. Sasuke could distract himself for a while. With both his imagination and the cold comfort of his hand. But ultimately, his own fixation was his undoing.

He couldn't go on like this without closer. There was no avoiding her now. He was going back.

.:.

She was looking at him.

I should’ve known that would eventually happen.

So why wasn't he more prepared for it? His heart skipped a beat and if he didn't have such good equilibrium he might've stumbled. The hostess was leading him to his table - which turned out to be the same one as before - and he'd searched the busy restaurant with his eyes, hoping to spot her sooner this time. He hadn't expected for their eyes to lock on one another, and especially not this early into his night. He also hadn't expected the initial shock on her face to drop into a soft smile.

He forced himself to look away as the hostess drew his attention to his table, but the weight of Hinata's stare remained. He unpacked his laptop as he'd done last time, trying very hard not to look over and give the impression he was desperately seeking her attention. He forgot to pull out his phone to make his order via the QR code and instead just slowly got comfortable; or as comfortable as he could, knowing she was still watching him. But eventually, he couldn't help himself and Sasuke looked up. She turned away immediately, clearly embarrassed at having been caught looking at him. He allowed himself a small smile at that.

And the weight of her stare left him.

He swallowed heavily as he mentally berated himself. He glanced over at her again just as she looked back for a few moments seeming to remember she had a job to do.

As do I.

One of the waitresses for his section walked by and without thinking, Sasuke raised a hand to grab her attention. “Sumimasen.”

The woman bowed to him. Hyperaware of the Hyuuga still visible from across the confines of the restaurant, he raised an eyebrow at the silent waitress who was staring at him, thoroughly nonplussed. She bowed again, said, “shou shou omachi kudasai,” and then rushed off, leaving him feeling childish.

She hadn't taken his order.

It only occurred to him once he was alone again what he'd just done. He spared an unimpressed glare at the back of Hinata's head as she happily took the order of a small family. She was throwing him off. Next thing he'd know, Sasuke would be singing and dancing out his love confessions. He snorted at himself. At least now he could use the QR code instead. Maybe. He didn't make a move to grab his phone, instead frowning after the waitress who'd disappeared into the back. This was more nerve-wracking than he'd anticipated and Sasuke debated just packing up his things and walking out. He looked over and noticed Hinata had disappeared as well. He breathed a sigh of relief, despite himself. He just needed a few moments to get his act together before deciding what to do next. He opened Atom on his laptop and began the arduous process of inline coding, occasionally glancing to the side without moving his head, to see if she'd come back out onto the floor. She was still in the back, it seemed. As he typed in a few line breaks, his mind drifted to Hinata's reactions to him. Perhaps she was as curious as he was. Maybe his arrival had stirred something in her too.

He stops working when he notices her move onto the floor, now weaving her way between tables. His breath hitches when it becomes obvious she's headed directly for his table. He almost gasps out loud when she stops right in front of him. Hinata blinked a few times before addressing him.

“S-Sas–” She cut herself off and cleared her throat and then bowed slightly; not too low and not too high. “Have you decided what you w-want to order?”

Do I make you nervous?

Somehow that possibility gives him courage. Maybe it's because that's the part of his personality he likes best: making others uncomfortable. Even Hinata. He likes that he has an effect on her. How insignificant would he be if she was apathetic to his presence? Sasuke cleared his throat and ordered a black coffee and onigiri with a side of kimchi salad, tells HInata, “I don’t like beans” and silently bemoans his inability to not look like some kind of an idiot in front of her. She just smiles, all professional despite the twitch of her fingers that told him she ached to grab something. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes raking in his form and Sasuke stiffened at the perusal.

Why is she doing that?

And then it was all over and Hinata Hyuuga was moving away from his table, presumably heading out the back to pass on his order. She didn't stop or slow down.

Fuck.

There were so many questions in his head and he'd heard them all before. He can’t concentrate on his work. Sasuke stares at the screen as he waits for his food, his fingers poised over the keyboard and his eyes unmoving. He lived in a surreal world. Everything was happening so fast. But unlike the last time he came here, he had it coming. He'd hoped to get some answers but it felt too weird to try to talk to her, not just because she was actually working and it would be unprofessional of her. Sasuke blinked heavily, checked the time, and then his notes and references before returning his fingers to the letters on his keyboard. Letters, brackets, parentheses, and integers. He pursed his lips, trying to focus. He managed to get some work done in the time it took for Hinata to come back. He wasn't sure why she was serving in this section, but his brain refused to care to figure that out.

She stood in front of him, clearly unsure about how to talk to him, but she carried on nonetheless.

“Douzo.”

“Doumo.”

Sasuke . raised an eyebrow at her when she looked stunned that he'd replied. He supposed it was strange to hear him being polite. As Hinata bowed again, hesitated for a moment (again), and turned to leave, Sasuke inhaled deeply, just watching her go. He sat back and looked down at his hands, which had started shaking slightly. He fisted his trousers to stop them. This had been a mistake but there was nothing else to do right now but just eat his food. He ate his onigiri like a crazy person; with a fork. He waited for the rice and seaweed to stick better so it wasn’t messy but instead of picking it up with his hands, as it was designed to be eaten, he jammed the fork into it and dumped it on his kimchi salad. Sasuke forced himself to return to focusing on his work, digging holes in the onigiri and salad every few minutes, taking a few sips of his coffee, and scowling.

All awhile he was very aware of the lavender-white eyes watching him from the other side of Yotsuya Uemura Restaurant.

.:.

Sasuke returned to the restaurant but Hinata never came to get his order again. And for that, he was grateful. He could continue to ignore her, do his work until the late hours, reorder something to eat or drink every now and then (using the damn damned QR-code instead to avoid any more awkward moments), and pretend he was still in that hole-in-the-wall, that had started this mess by closing down in the first place. Two hours of peace. And then 3 A.M. would roll around and he’d start packing up slowly, languidly, as though his life didn't depend on leaving before she clocked out and got it into her head to come to say "hello" again. And despite his bladder kicking him from the inside because of all the coffee he'd avoid the restroom and call an Uber because Tokyo bus lines had stopped by then.

And he’d still be wide awake.

He got into this habit and it served him well for four weeks. A month of the now strangely alluring atmosphere of Yotsuya Uemura Restaurant. It still felt weird that this was the best place to go to where his brain would actually focus on work, even with her there. But he got complacent with their unspoken rule of ignoring each other. At least he presumed they had an agreement. It would be typical of her to break that non-agreement right when he'd let his guard down.

Sasuke spotted her heading toward him after his final cup of black coffee of the night. He licked his lips and put the cup down, watching her with an almost detached fascination. It was a strange but welcomed feeling. And suddenly she was standing in front of him with only the table and his belongings between them. She didn't speak immediately, licking her lips in a similar manner to what he'd just done. She started twiddling her thumbs and a rose-coloured flush spread across her cheeks as he continued to stare silently back at her.

Why is she here?

Her shift had clearly ended; she held a bento bag over her shoulder while the standard apron uniform and her name tag were notably absent. She had to be on her way out.

So why is she here?

Maybe she thought... no, he couldn't think of a reason. Well, perhaps the kind girl he used to know actually had unfinished business with him. Whatever that might be. He debated leaving early; his eyes went to the time on his laptop, noting it was only ten minutes before 3 A.M. so it wouldn't be completely out of character. As much as he enjoyed the view, he was not enjoying the anticipation. But when she smiled at him, in that warm, soft way he remembered, Sasuke couldn’t bring himself to leave.

“Sasuke.”

Her voice was melodic and he found himself leaning forward to rest his chin on his hands, entranced. And no suffix? Interesting. He remembered Hinata as one who’d been a stickler for politeness. How times had changed.

He nodded shortly to her. “Hinata.”

As though that had been permission, she slid into the chair opposite him. But the bento bag remained on her shoulder. “So you do remember m-me?”

Sasuke could only nod, his confusion masked by feigned indifference.

“I wanted to come over to say ‘hi’ s-sooner,” she said, her smile now more timid as she laced her fingers together. “The timing just never seemed r-right.”

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, forcing himself to calm down. He could do this (just this once). It was like riding a bicycle. Except he'd never actually learned to do that.

I’m definitely going to have to find another coffee restaurant now.

He had no idea what possessed him to continue coming here. This was just a recipe for disaster. It was far too awkward and he had work to do. No, wait, work was over. Or just about. Now he had to go home. Still, he didn’t have time to hash things out with old friends or crushes from high school. Memories belonged in the past. But he couldn’t help himself; a part of Sasuke still needed to know. He had to know. He had to. Or so he kept telling himself. There was only pain and heartache in memories of watching Hinata being happy with Naruto. There was no ring on her finger but not every married couple did that. Or she could’ve removed a ring while working to avoid losing it. There were a million different reasons she looked single.

How does one look single, really?

“How’s the dobe?”

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Other than the obvious.

Fighting an internal battle on whether or not to slap himself, Sasuke tried to focus on pretending he wasn't fighting with himself. He didn’t really want to know how Hinata's life with Naruto was. His mouth just seemed to have a mind of its own. Sasuke could imagine all kinds of things she might say and how he might be doing. He didn't need confirmation. As she squirmed in her seat, he blinked slowly. A hard swallow was the only sign that this conversation was making him uncomfortable.

Her smile was sad. “I wouldn’t know.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened. Why wouldn’t she know? Why wouldn't she... And then suddenly his stupid mind clicked all the pieces into place. “You’re not with him anymore?”

She shook her head.

“I thought you were looking forward to the 2.5 kids with him.”

Hinata sighed and stopped fiddling with her hands. “I’ve grown up.”

He gave her a quick appraisal, without lingering on any part of her body. Hopefully, it didn’t come off as invasive or creepy. But his mind was whirring. He nodded absentmindedly, but his heart was pounding against his rib cage. Dare he ask if she’d found someone else? Dare he poke the sleeping dragon?

“Are you–”

“I’m… s-single.”

Was she blushing? Sasuke couldn’t stop the smirk from gracing his face if he tried. The muscles responsible for twisting the side of his mouth into a smirk felt stiff though. He suddenly felt like a weight had been lifted from his soul. His body was lighter and his cluttered mind cleared. He sighed in contentment. At least for that part of her revelation.

A different kind of anxiety now slammed his heart against his chest.

They sat in awkward silence as Sasuke ordered a new, different drink. The doors would be closing soon so he had to do this quickly. When the milkshake came, he took a sip and then pushed it lightly, in her direction. If he drank any more coffee there would be no going to sleep tonight but this was too sweet for his tastes, normally. He already desperately needed to use the toilets. Unfortunately, it wasn’t socially acceptable to ask complete strangers or staff to watch his stuff while he used the facilities, so Sasuke would usually be gone by now, on his way home, and to that sweet porcelain of relief.

He eyed Hinata tentatively. “You seem different from the shy girl who always followed Naruto around.”

She reached out and ran a delicate finger along the condensation on the glass tumbler that held the liquid temptation. “I’ve grown up.”

Yes. And no stuttering this time. But some things clearly still stayed the same: she still loved strawberry milkshakes. (And this one had a cinnamon stick in it to boot.) She was eyeing off his drink in a slightly ravenous way but the nervous habits he remembered from high school were also still present; she was twiddling her thumbs and clearly too polite to just take his drink. These were parts of the reason he’d fallen so heavily for her in the first place. She was adorable in her weird mix of social graces and anxiety. He knew a little about social anxiety himself. He’d never cared much for how others perceived him, but adulthood had taught him some hard-learned lessons on why it would never get him anywhere in life to carry on as though nobody else mattered.

Yet so much about Sasuke had not changed at all.

Still a selfish bastard.

He wanted and he got. At least where it was possible.

Sasuke raised his eyebrows at Hinata in what he hoped was a challenging look. She sat up straighter and licked her lips before her eyes dropped to his drink in understanding. He remembered from his few years in this industry just how ragged one could feel at the end of a long shift. He hadn't had to worry about the nine-to-five bullshit for so long but some things were just unforgettable. This drink was an offer more than a challenge: was she thirsty enough to take him up on it? How much had she really changed? She'd never have taken his drink back in school. Now she had an open but silent invitation.

Hinata pulled the drink toward herself, stopping it in the middle of the table before leaning over it to take the rim of the glass between her lips. He watched in erotic fascination as she lifted the glass and pursed her lips against it. He fixated on her mouth as she gulped it down. His eyes were drawn to every distinct and enthralling move she made. Not to mention how when she’d leaned over it was too bad her uniform wasn’t more revealing but it did give his inner pervert ideas.

"Watch my stuff?" He asked and she distractedly nodded, continuing to enjoy her drink.

He decided the strawberry milkshake was a fair price to pay in return for her watching his belongings. It was her fault he wasn’t on his way home yet, after all. Sasuke didn’t like public toilets but with the very single and beautiful Hyuuga sitting in front of him, smacking her lips together after a long guzzle of her favourite drink, and her eyes fluttering closed in pleasure, he found he didn’t care about that. He was just glad he hadn't run away every chance he got, since the first time he entered Yotsuya Uemura Restaurant.

When he returned she was still sitting in her chair but had angled her body to peak at what he had on his screen, her delicate eyebrows raised; she was either surprised or impressed.

Yes, he was very glad indeed that they were both still here.

.:.

It became a habit. Sasuke would arrive around midnight, take his usual spot in the darkest corner of the brightly lit restaurant, order using the QR code, and then unpack his laptop. He would spend the first forty-five minutes sipping on his water (or black tea; either of which would later be replaced by black coffee anyway) and working on his project design and immersing himself in every edit. When the food came he would pick at it while still working and occasionally peeking over the top of his laptop as Hinata worked in the distance. The way her fringe bobbed as she smiled brightly at a customer, even if they were monopolising her time with their order. He found a new appreciation in just gazing at her.

And as was a habit, Sasuke would be finished with his food within the hour, ordering the first black coffee of the night. If he was still hungry, he’d grab a side salad or Spicy Ahi Poke around two o’clock, when his battery would start to wind him down, even with the coffee. Web coding was a far slower and more tedious skill set than most people realised. Depending on the job, it could take him months to finish, and these weren’t the cheap, easy pages of online website builders that anyone from his grandmother and borderline illiterate next-door neighbour could use to create their own site. He tested his static preview several times before deciding to stop and stretch out his tired muscles.

Then the cherry on the top: Hinata would clock off at 3 A.M. and join him at his table. A new strawberry milkshake bribe and she would heroically protect his belongings as he used the toilets and when he returned, she would regale him with stories about her family and friends while asking him questions about his own. He knew the shy, bumbling Hinata of his youth was not completely gone when he asked her more personal questions and she flushed; a lovely shade of pink he had never thought to cherish until now. Sasuke did not ask about past relationships because he was enjoying pretending she hadn’t been with anyone since Naruto. She did hint to it a few times but he shut that down quickly, not wanting to hear about her dating other men.

And in kind, it would be hypocritical of him to talk about his own sex life. Not that she would care about that.

It wasn’t the healthiest take on relationships, but it was what he had to offer.

After a week of this habit, Sasuke was disappointed to see the weekend painfully arrive. It meant her days off and he couldn’t bring himself to go to the restaurant knowing she wouldn’t be there. He almost asked her if they could meet up on the weekend but didn’t want it to feel like he was being needy. Or coming across too strong. The weekend dragged on with familial obligations and friends who were determined to get him drunk or laid. Or both. He ignored them all. Then Monday came again and Sasuke spent the day the way he spent every weekday since Hinata came back into his life; anticipating the night time.

What a boring life I lead.

He’d sunk low. Sasuke had spent years being content with his romantic isolation. No-one, no matter how many times he dated, could ever compare to the first person he’d fallen in love with. But he’d been fine with that. Until now. Now he was looking forward to being close to a beautiful woman who didn't annoy him. The very person he could never completely move on from.

Though he was scared at the thought of asking her if he was the only one feeling anything.

The second week of this habit changed everything. He was waking up with a smile on his face. He was going to bed content and peaceful. It wasn’t like Sasuke had never looked forward to things; he anticipated the weekend, the end of the night after another one of his mother’s forced family get together’s, the change in the balance of his bank account after finishing a project for a client. Even the occasional date or romp in the sheets (he used to indulge in) allowed him to release the stress of the week even though they were always temporary fixes. And of course, running. Sitting at a computer for hours didn’t do his body any good and he had gotten into the habit of jogging for over an hour every early in the mornings.

Habits.

But it was time for this new one to break. Because he hadn’t done much other than jog or work since remeeting Hinata. He needed more from her, not just the moments so late in the night that it would be inappropriate to invite her back to his apartment. And he needed to know that this was okay with her. He’d lost out years ago but there was no Naruto-dobe to get in the way this time. He wasn’t the hot-blooded and assertive type. He didn't get riled up and led on. But that was another habit he was intent on breaking - for this instance, at least.

He “hn’d” his way through his first night of the week with her before becoming more obvious. He didn't have much experience flirting anyway. When he passed the milkshake to her his fingers lingered and he stared into her eyes, delighting in the way her breath hitched and her lips parted. She would place a shaky hand on the glass tumbler, wrapping her hand around it delicately and waiting for him to let go. his fingers would deliberately brush against hers and she swallowed heavily. The dynamic had changed. She would drink with less vigour but still finish every last drop.

They shared his side of hot potato chips, which were always too much for him anyway, and he was reminded of those cartoon dogs who shared pasta. The urge to kiss Hinata would resurface whenever his mind drifted and he had to push that down. For now.

“I think it's time to leave,” she said, blushing slightly. "They're closing up now."

They were indeed moving furniture and changing signs.

“Hn.”

Hinata was bold when it mattered; she reached over with a napkin and wiped at the side of his mouth. Her shy smile grew wider when he didn’t move away and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. His lips parted and his eyes dropped to her mouth when she licked her lips. Was the air dry for her too? He felt like a sudden heat wave had set on them both. But when she was done wiping at the sauce on his mouth the moment was over. She pulled back and averted her eyes nervously.

Maybe she’d been expecting me to kiss her?

He had no idea. But it couldn't hurt to find out. Sasuke started the habit of packing up his belongings as Hinata sighed in resignation and slowly stood.

Once upon a time, when he didn't have a choice - when his life wasn’t his to dictate - Sasuke had bemoaned his future. Now he realised he was regaining something inside himself that he’d never known was actually possible.

A future with her.

.:.

The final nail in this coffin was a wake-up call.

His friendship with Naruto was ruined. When she touched the idiot, Sasuke imagined she was touching him. When she kissed the dobe, Sasuke imagined those were his lips she worshipped. Her hands were on his, her body pressed against him; her moans, his groans, and their pleasure. Sasuke was plagued with images and what-ifs. Naruto had his future with Hinata figured out. Sasuke's life was over. It didn't matter that he loved them both, even though in different ways. It only mattered that every smile was killing him. Sasuke didn't believe in real souls, not really. But if he did have one, the other half of it was being torn away from him.

Naruto asked Hinata to marry him in the middle of the high school graduation ceremony, disrupting the flow like the baka he was. And while the principal yelled at him, the blond made a public menace of himself as the school graduates rallied to his romantic gesture.

Everyone but Sasuke. And nobody noticed.

He couldn’t handle it, seeing them together all lovey-dovey and declaring they were meant to be. The whole school cheering. The lights glared down and closed in on him as his vision blurred. It was too much, even for him, Mr. Ice-box anal arsehole with a reputation for not giving a shit. He should’ve seen it coming but until Hinata said, “yes” and let Naruto sweep her into the most affectionate and disgusting kiss that Sasuke had ever seen, he hadn’t thought it would happen. It couldn’t happen. She was better than this. The fates were kinder than this. Naruto was notoriously slow on the uptake. Surely he would be too lazy or unreliable to think of such a permanent change in his life.

But apparently not anymore. He was serious. They were engaged. They would be getting married.

And all Sasuke wanted to do was scream in frustration and rage. He was done putting up with this! It felt selfish to do but he had to. There was no emotional outburst - that would come later, in the privacy of his own home - no. He was a picture of calm as he started to back away from his cheering graduation class.  He took one last look at the chaotic scene Naruto had caused, snatched up his own diploma, and turned away. He was soon to be enrolled at Tohoku University. He was moving away from this backwater town. Far away from everyone he knew. To Tokyo.

Alone.

Sasuke left all of his friends behind and cut off all contact, ignoring their attempts to find him. And hers.

And he never saw his best friend again.

.:.

She tasted like strawberries and lavender.

Sasuke finally broke his habit three weeks after their fated reunion. (Now that he was contemplating that maybe fate was a thing.) Packing his laptop away, he’d reached for a second bag that had been sitting on the chair next to him. He’d known it was likely to rain so Sasuke brought two compact umbrellas with him with plans for them both to get used. He’d contemplated just bringing one large, oversized umbrella but didn’t want to make Hinata awkward with the presumptuous closeness. She seemed skittish with surprises. So now she stood with him under the awning that decorated the front of the restaurant and he was suddenly very grateful for bad yet predictable weather.

“Sasuke?”

He looked down at the woman in his arms. Gone was the facade that this was anything other than a blossoming relationship. He'd taken her hand and stood proud as a peacock when she squeezed his hand in return. She let him pull her closer, their umbrellas overlapping above their heads as they stared into each other's eyes. She'd let him lean in closer and duck his head under her umbrella to breathe in her sudden intake of air. She was anticipating this too, he knew. This situation was familiar, though he was determined to have it play out differently. Maybe she didn’t remember that day in the rain, so long ago when he'd wanted to kiss her after she'd let him use her umbrella. She’d never tracked him down to get it back and he'd never offered it back. Or maybe he’d intimidated her too much for her to retrieve it.

“Hinata…” His free hand cupped her face and he took in every inch of her face, his eyes memorising every detail. The flush of her skin, the plumpness of her lips, the way she tilted toward him instinctively. “I want to kiss you.”

What was it his father had once said? Never ask for permission. Sasuke knew Fugaku’s approach to women was toxic. His mother’s issues were proof of that. But there was a little part of himself that had wanted to just take those succulent-looking lips between his teeth before she had the chance to pull away. However, he respected her too much for that. He needed to know she wanted this too.

Hinata smiled and nodded. “Okay. I want to kiss you, too.”

(No more stuttering.)

And that was his permission. When he lowered his mouth to hers he was already slanting his head in anticipation for the tilt of their faces as they embraced each other. Full-mouthed, energetic, uncompromising; he grasped her almost too tightly as her parted lips allowed him entry. Sasuke devoured her mouth. Their eyes closed, his body pressed so intimately against hers; the pouring rain faded into the background. There was only her. Only them. And when she moaned and returned his vigour, he finally felt like he'd come home.

.:.