#shweekly winter week 2021

[crystaltrinket]

Written in the Stars - SasuHina Winter Week 2021

Hi dudes! Here's a little something for SH Winter Week, based on the prompts from @shweekly. This will be a short series, hopefully. I haven't finished writing out everything yet. I hope you enjoy :) Please see the author's note at the end for any additional notes.

Written in the Stars | SasuHina | Summary: Modern AU - Sasuke never got the chance to tell Hinata his feelings towards her before he left to study abroad. Now he's back. AKA: Sasuke is too busy being butthurt from being abroad and everyone acts as his wingman to help finish what he started before he left... if he can stop being butthurt.

Part 1: Winter Constellations

Hinata huffed, slowly climbing the ladder leading up to the rooftop of the onsen-ji her family owned. On days when she needed to feel peace, she often laid on the rooftop tiles and looked for the night’s constellations.

Today was one of those days.

Hinata shivered and brought her jacket closer around her. It was forecasted to snow soon, and the onsen-ji would be busy in the next coming days. Winter was always their peak season. Exhaling a long sigh, Hinata settled herself on the clay tiles and laid down with her long hair fanned out under her, staring at the clear night sky.

Silently, she began mapping the night sky’s constellations.

‘There’s Orion’s Belt and if that’s there, then Orion is right…there!’ Hinata smiled to herself, proud, even though she’s mapped the constellations hundreds of times before. Ignoring her buzzing phone, her eyes searched for Rigel, the brightest star in the constellation.

‘What was the trick to finding Rigel?’ she thought as she squinted her eyes at the night sky. Hinata tightly closed her eyes and blinked a couple times to refocus her vision. ‘Orion’s Belt goes up like that…’ Hinata’s eyes followed the slight curve of the stars and her mind drifted to a memory she kept to herself.

It was the eve of her birthday that year.

Traditionally, she celebrated her birthday the day before with friends since her family celebrated her birthday by staying in the temple all day. Rubbing her gloved hands together, Hinata followed a boy with dark hair to the ladder steps leading to the temple’s rooftop. They had left their group of friends in one of the rooms, fast asleep and warm, having karaoked themselves out during their festivities.

‘Sasuke-kun? What are we doing up here?’ she asked as she followed him up the ladder.

He looked down at her between the ladder steps. ‘You’ll see.’

Hinata softly chuckled. ‘O-okay, Sasuke-kun.’

Sasuke grunted as he hefted himself over the last step and offered his hand to help pull Hinata up as she got closer to the top of the ladder. He pulled her in close, sharing his warmth. ‘Keep your eyes closed,’ he whispered in her ear.

Hinata felt her heart skip a beat - in anticipation, nervousness, having Sasuke so close; she doesn’t know. Obediently she closed her eyes and allowed Sasuke to lead.

He kept his arm wrapped around her, as he held her hand with his free hand. His voice was gentle as he guided her away objects she could trip on.

‘You really need Neji to come back from college and clean up the roof,’ he muttered. Hinata smiled, hearing the smirk in his voice.

‘Or you could come, and I’ll help you clean up,’ she answered. Sasuke didn’t respond back but she felt him pull her closer to him, squeezing her hand.

He brought them to a stop and Hinata felt the warmth of his arm leave her shoulder as his hold on her hand.

‘Okay, open your eyes.’

Hinata opened her eyes and softly gasped at the sight in front of her. Sasuke had cleaned up a small portion of the roof, and what greeted her was a thick blanket laying on the tiles, a quaint picnic basket was placed upon the rooftop ledge. String lights were strewn up providing a soft glow to the scenery.

‘Sasuke-kun,’ Hinata breathed out.

Sasuke gave her a small smile. ‘Come on, hopefully your cinnamon rolls will still be warm.’

Hinata smiled at the memory. Remembering that night well, after enjoying the cinnamon rolls, Sasuke taught her how to identify the constellations. She could still remember his voice guiding her through the process. ‘Now remember to find Rigel, you just need to find his belt and then follow the line to his foot. And…there it is.’

Hinata’s eyes traced Orion’s Belt once again and, true to his word, when she followed the imaginary line to where Orion’s foot would be, Rigel shone brightly.

Hinata nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone started buzzing in a consecutive pattern. Fumbling with her phone, she squinted as her eyes adjusted to the brightly lit screen.

She bit her lip as she scrolled through her missed text messages.

I’m so excited~ I can’t wait to see everyone! 💞- Ino

The hot springs are gonna do wonders on my aching muscles~ 💆 - Sakura

I could help with that… 👀 - Naruto

Gross! Keep that shit to yourselves!! - Kiba

No one needs to know! - Ino

Agreed. - Shino

Is Sasuke even in this group chat? - Shikamaru

Naruto, I’m going to kill you. 💢 - Sakura

-Naruto added Sasuke to the chat-

Heya, bastard! We’ll pick you up at the airport! - Naruto

See you all at the famous Konohagakure Onsen-ji! 💖- Ino

That was nearly an hour ago. The airport is one hour away from the onsen-ji. They would probably be here in the next thirty minutes or so. Gulping down her sudden nervousness, Hinata figured it was time to get herself ready for her friends’ arrival.

Hinata dusted herself off and made her way towards the ladder to go back down when she felt her phone vibrate.

‘The hawk has landed and has been retrieved! 👍 ETA: soon-ish…’ - Naruto

Despite her nervousness, Hinata couldn’t help but smile. She quickly sent a reply and made her way down the ladder to enter the warm temple.

“Good evening, Hinata-sama,” a voice greeted her. “I take it you had a refreshing time up on the roof?”

Hinata gently nodded her head. “Yes, thank you, Ko-san. Has the Presidential Suite been prepared for our guests?”

Ko bowed his head. “Everything has been prepared to your requests, Hinata-sama.”

-

Familiar scenery whizzed past him as he sat in the backseat of Naruto’s car. Sasuke perched his chin in the palm of his hand, as he looked out the window. Nothing much had changed since the last time he was in the country, but at the same time, he felt everything had changed.

“Dude, seriously?! You’re going to get another traffic ticket if you run one more red light!” Kiba yelled from the passenger seat to the blonde who was driving.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. “What’s one more traffic violation? Besides, I wanna make sure we get there before the girls and Shino, so we get the best view!”

Sasuke heard Shikamaru let out a small sigh as he felt the small car speed up.

“You know Hinata secured the Presidential Suite, right? There’s no need to speed up. We’ll all have the same view.” Shikamaru rolled his eyes, stopping at Sasuke next to him. His hair, grown out a little longer since the last time he saw him, covered his face but he could tell the mention of Hinata’s name had unnerved him a bit.

“Isn’t she great?” Naruto dreamily sighed. “Being the heiress of an onsen-ji must be amazing! Having people at your beck and call, the great food, and the sweet, sweet hot springs,” Naruto shimmied his shoulders in delight.

Kiba and Shikamaru kept silent, aware of Hinata’s real situation with being the heiress, and watched Sasuke’s reaction from the corner of their eyes.

Sasuke, unaware of their eyes on him, turned outwards to the window and stared up at the clear night sky.

“Idiot,” he whispered.

Shikamaru cleared his throat and caught Naruto’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Did you tell Hinata we’re on our way?”

Naruto slowed to a stop, arriving at a red light. “Oh, shoot! Let me do that right now,” Naruto took his phone out from his pocket.

Kiba’s eyes widened as motorcycle police pulled up next to them. Promptly, he snatched Naruto’s phone from his hand.

“Hey!”

“Not in front of the cops!” Kiba’s head jerked towards the passenger window.

Naruto sheepishly smiled as he made eye contact with the officer. He nervously gripped the steering wheel.

"Why don't you tell Hinata-chan this…"

Sasuke tuned out Naruto’s voice. The scenery outside soon changed from a cityscape with tall buildings and bright lights to Japanese pine trees illuminated by the stars.

A stark contrast to the life he was living for the past four years. Sasuke’s lips pressed into a thin line. Living abroad was an absolute nightmare for him. He couldn’t find a way to fit in at university, not to mention the language barrier made it difficult for him to express himself in the first year.

And if he was caught up with the wrong people, well… Sasuke looked down at his hand and closed it in a fist. He knew how to take care of them nonverbally.

He broke out of his quiet musings as he heard Kiba, and Naruto loudly laugh and mention Hinata’s name and the onsen.

Sasuke looked down dejectedly. His thoughts moved to the girl he left behind. He couldn’t blame anyone but himself for not keeping in contact. Though they had tried to keep in touch in the beginning, it began to fizzle as the months abroad turned into years. And daily texts had slowly turned into sporadic messages sent at odd hours due to their time difference. But still, she found ways to surprise him and even sent him a care package through his brother Itachi ‘It seemed like she was really busy, but she took the time to make this for you. The least you could do is say thank you.’ Sasuke could hear his voice clear in his mind.

Sasuke responded by sending her beautifully woven cloth of deep purple with silver thread sewn in intricate patterns for her to use when her family’s announcement of becoming the temple heir became public.

“Hey.” Shikamaru’s low voice broke his reverie. “Hinata hasn’t changed that much.”

Though Shikamaru wasn’t looking at him, Sasuke turned to stare at him.

“She’s still the same, sweet Hinata from high school. Just a little bit older and more responsibilities.” Shikamaru glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “She hasn’t tried dating since you left.”

Sasuke let this information sink in.

“We’re here!” Naruto announced. “Damn, the girls and Shino beat us to it.”

Naruto parked his car right behind Sakura’s car and waved at the trio. Sasuke got out of the car and shivered. Snow would fall soon, he mused. He grabbed his things and slammed the door shut. Kiba noisily ran towards his best friend while Shikamaru and Naruto followed to greet the rest of their friends.

Sasuke looked around, noticing that not much had changed at the temple. The trees may have gotten taller. The stone steps may have gotten a little smoother. He looked up and immediately spotted the constellation he was looking for earlier. The corner of his mouth lifted up in a small smile.

“Good evening, everyone,” a soft voice called out.

Sasuke sharply turned around. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for this moment. He noticed their friends surrounded her as she stood at the entrance of the temple. Slowly, he took her in with slightly widened eyes. She was a little taller than he remembered, her violet hair a little longer, but her face still held the same smile and gentle eyes he remembered.

“Welcome back,” Hinata smiled at him with a soft blush on her face - probably from the cold, he decided.

“I-” Sasuke instantly became aware of their friends' expectant eyes on him. Heart beating wildly in his chest, he schooled his features into a blank expression.

“Hnn,” he nodded and made his way towards his friends. He couldn’t help but notice Hinata wore a brighter smile than Rigel shining in the sky.

---

Mini Author's Note: honestly, I'm not very good at summaries. So, I'm keeping that as is.

Also, an onsen-ji is a hot spring temple - so, in this AU Hinata's family is running a hot spring inn with a temple on the side - or a temple with a hot spring inn on the side.

[crystaltrinket]

Written in the Stars - SasuHina - Winter Week 2021

Hi, dudes! Part 2 for @shweekly today. It's another long one today and continuation for Part 1. Please see the end for additional author's notes. Enjoy!

Written in the Stars | SasuHina | Summary: Modern AU - Sasuke never got the chance to tell Hinata his feelings towards her before he left to study abroad. Now he’s back. AKA: Sasuke is too busy being butthurt from being abroad and everyone acts as his wingman to help finish what he started before he left… if he can stop being butthurt.

Part 1: Winter Constellations

Part 2: The Beauty of Snow

The onsen-ji was breathtaking. It was traditionally built with a few, carefully placed modern touches that elevated the overall look. The Presidential Suite, the biggest of all the rooms at the inn, fit all eight of them perfectly. The suite had two floors, a living room with a private entrance of the onsen on the first floor, a small kitchen and a small patio area arranged with a tiny zen garden and on the second floor, two bedrooms, another living room, and a balcony.

From the living room view on the first floor, steam rose up from the hot springs. On a small table in the living room, eight plates of varying food and eight cups of tea.

“Wow!” Sakura’s eyes gleamed at the sight. “Hinata-chan, this room is amazing!”

Hinata softly giggled. “Typically, this room is reserved around this time of year, but it ended up being free. I’m glad you like it.”

“You’re the best, Hinata,” Kiba slung an arm around her, squeezing her lightly. Sasuke narrowed his eyes when he saw the other boy whisper something in her ear. She lightly blushed before giggling her way out of Kiba’s half-embrace.

“Everyone, there’s two bedrooms upstairs if you want to split up?” Hinata asked. They all looked at each other, before breaking out in laughter. Sasuke looked at them quizzically.

“Hinata-chan, we’ll just do the same as we always do,” Ino moved the small table in the living room against the wall, careful not to spill the tea placed atop it. “Sleepover style!”

“Great,” Hinata smiled. Naruto clamped his hand on Sasuke’s shoulder.

“It’ll be just like the old days, huh?” the blond gave him a wide smile.

Sasuke smirked, shrugging his hand from his shoulder. “Just don’t drool all over the place in your sleep, dobe.”

The group loudly laughed at his comment, Sasuke particularly listening for Hinata’s soft laughter, as Naruto stuttered in his comeback.

“Come on, you,” Sakura grabbed Naruto by the sleeve of his jacket, still chuckling at his reaction. “Help move the furniture around.”

-

With the living room clear of furniture, the group set out to arrange their futons.

Sasuke waited until the last minute to place his futon. He noticed that everyone seemed to lay theirs in the same pattern as when they were younger.

Kiba and Shino placed their futons in opposite directions, putting their futons above Sakura and Naruto. Sakura laid her futon closest to the onsen, Naruto placed his next to hers. Shikamaru unfolded his futon just below them, under their feet, with Ino laying her futon next to him. Lastly, Hinata laid her futon at her usual place, next to the wall - leaving Sasuke's spot open for him.

Sasuke placed his futon next to Hinata’s, giving her a small smile when she caught his eye.

“It’s nice to have you back, Sasuke-kun,” she whispered as she straightened out her futon. His breath hitched in his throat, and he could barely hear their friends gathering the plates and cups of tea from the table nearby.

The words were stuck on the tip of his tongue and all he managed was a tight smile in response. Before he could think of something else to say, he saw Hinata’s eyes widen in panic.

“N-Naruto-kun! Wait!” she moved to stop the blond from entering the onsen.

Sasuke turned and saw Naruto halfway dressed about to dip into the hot spring. Sakura came onto the patio holding her plate in one hand and his plate in the other.

“You cannot be serious…” Sakura shoved his plate into his hands. “You are not going to ruin this nice vacation by being sick the entire time.”

Naruto nervously chuckled. “Of course not!”

“Sasuke, Hinata,” Shikamaru handed them their plates and cups. “You really outdid yourself again, Hinata.”

“You will have to share the recipe for this,” Ino pointed to her plate with her fork. “I don’t know how you manage to do it.”

“Well,” Hinata shrugged one shoulder. “It helps that we’ve all been friends for so long.”

Sasuke couldn’t help but chuckle along with everyone else. She had made all of their favorite foods and he was sure she had more surprises up her sleeve for them. It was the type of thing she would do. For as long as he’s known her, she’d put the needs and wants of others before herself - often forgetting to take care of herself.

It was a point of contention between the both of them. When Hinata told him her father’s plans of making her heiress to the temple and the onsen-ji, he was furious. Sasuke wasn’t too worried about the temple. Her mother’s family taught her well in temple etiquette and temple dealings. Her father, on the other hand, was known to be a straight businessman and dealt strictly with running the onsen-ji successfully. Together with his wife, they made a formidable match in the business world.

Hinata wasn’t business-minded and often floundered under her father’s tutelage. To put the stress of the temple and its upkeep and the maintenance of the onsen-ji as a business was too much pressure to put on her, in Sasuke’s opinion.

Hinata felt a sense of duty to continue the family business and Sasuke couldn’t find a way to change her mind.

He looked down at the onigiri she prepared for him. He remembered often eating many of the onigiri she made - he mentally frowned, probably because she was too stressed, he mused.

Sasuke took a bite, relishing the taste as it brought back memories, both happy and sad. He took a sip of the hot tea and let out a contented sigh.

“Missed it, huh?” Kiba smirked at him. Shino stood beside him and silently nodded while taking a sip of tea.

Sasuke inclined his head. “It’s hard to find tastes like this outside of Japan.”

Kiba snorted. “Try, ‘outside of this place’. Hinata’s been working hard on making deals with the best vendors and manufacturers. It’s almost like she was able to monopolize the best stuff for the business.”

“I see,” Sasuke looked down at his cup. “Sounds like she’s been overworking herself.”

“On the contrary,” Shino answered. “It seems she may have found a good balance. I only say that because she doesn’t look worn out when we have our lunches together.”

Sasuke’s gaze drifted to Hinata who was standing near Ino and Shikamaru, sharing a laugh with them. It was true, she didn’t look overworked. Her long hair still held a certain shininess he remembered. She looked to be in high spirits and there wasn’t a line of stress on her face in sight.

“Neji doesn’t seem to help out either,” Kiba added. “The last I heard, he was flying back and forth to and from Hong Kong in preparation of opening his new business with Tenten.

“Hmm,” Sasuke downed the rest of his cooled tea in one gulp. He forgot her cousin Neji was also into business, and now that he thought about it, her younger sister Hanabi was probably being pushed towards a business career path as well.

Perhaps, Hinata was more business-minded than he previously thought.

-

“Woah, look at that!”

Everyone was lounging upstairs in one bedroom, resting after eating the prepared food. Time passed and before they knew it, snow started to fall. Sakura’s exclamation brought them to the balcony to see the snow fall.

“You know,” Naruto tapped his chin. “I bet the snow fall would be prettier if we all got into the hot springs.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. At the rate of falling snow, the most they would get would be a light dusting by the time they would all be ready to come out.

“Then, why don’t we get into the hot springs?”

Sasuke was startled by Hinata’s question. It was almost one in the morning. Wouldn’t it be an inappropriate time?

“Yes!” Naruto pumped a fist in the air. His eyes held a certain glint that Sasuke was all too familiar with. “Sasuke, it’s been a while - why don’t you go in first?”

Sasuke instantly felt himself being lifted up and led to the balcony by the other boys. He heard Ino and Sakura shouting in the background, telling the boys to put him down.

In his foresight, he was fully prepared for this to happen - as it has happened countless times being friends with Naruto. He just wanted to make sure he didn’t hit the large rock wall separating the men’s and women’s hot springs.

Sasuke exhaled, feeling the cold chill touch his feet.

“W-Wait!” Hinata’s voice stopped them. She cleared her throat and in a voice, he’s never heard her use before, she said - “Please do not damage the temple onsen property.”

Sasuke was promptly dropped on the floor. The room was quiet. And then it burst into brouhaha as everyone clambered around Hinata.

“Hinata-chan, was that your businesswoman voice?!”

“Damn, Hinata! I didn’t know you were capable of that!”

“Now, I know how you get the best deals! You gotta teach me that trick!”

Hinata chuckled softly, ushering them down the steps. “Please, it’s nothing. Just something I learned while dealing with business things. Nothing special.”

Sasuke caught Hinata’s eyes as he came towards the stairs. “You are full of surprises tonight, it seems,” he whispered.

Hinata blushed and shrugged her shoulders. He passed her, taking a step down the stairs and instantly winced. The fall must have left a bruise on his backside.

He heard Hinata giggle behind him. “Come on, Sasuke-kun. The hot springs will do you some good.”

-

Sasuke shivered as he stepped out in just a towel, but soon the warm air from the onsen gathered around him as he stepped closer to the hot springs. Beside him, Hinata wore a towel just long enough to hit above her knees. She arranged her hair in a low bun to keep it from getting wet.

The onsen kept traditional rules intact and the group followed, at Hinata’s request. Wading into the hot spring, Sasuke found a seat against the rock wall dividing the men and women’s hot spring. He heard a soft sigh as Hinata entered the hot spring and sat down on the other side of the wall.

The rest of the group followed, congregating at the rock wall. Snow continued to fall as they became acclimated to the temperature of the hot springs.

“I wouldn’t put it past you if you slipped in the hot springs after every workday, Hinata-chan,” Sakura closed her eyes and sighed as she slipped lower into the water.

“I agree,” Ino nodded. “There has to be some private onsen for the owner… is there?”

“The business owner has no special perks to the onsen,” Hinata shook her head. “But as the onsen-ji heiress, I do have some special luxuries.”

“Ooh!” Sakura’s head popped up. “Do tell!”

“Spill the beans, Hinata,” Kiba agreed. “Maybe I can switch roles with you one day.”

Sasuke leaned against the rock wall, resting his head on his forearms as he listened to Hinata listing her duties as the temple heiress and the benefits that came with it. He watched as her eyes crinkled when she smiled, how emotions easily showed on her face.

He noticed the snow lightly dusting the area around them, as he had predicted. He watched as the snowfall landed in the hot springs, melting immediately. Sasuke looked up, observing that in time, the whole onsen would be covered in at least twelve inches of snow. Rigel was still shining brightly in the sky. His eyes followed the snowflakes illuminated by the star’s bright light, landing softly on and around Hinata.

-

Author's Note: Proper hot spring etiquette dictates that one should have a tiny snack before getting into the hot spring since your body could have an adverse reaction if you haven't eaten before or if you had a big meal before getting in.

[crystaltrinket]

Written in the Stars - SasuHina - Winter Week 2021

Hi, dudes! Happy Christmas Eve-Eve (Dec 23rd)! Here's the 4th installment for @shweekly Winter Week 2021.

Part 4 is a continuation of Part 3 and a little lengthier than the last. Enjoy!

Written in the Stars | SasuHina | Summary: Modern AU - Sasuke never got the chance to tell Hinata his feelings towards her before he left to study abroad. Now he’s back. AKA: Sasuke is too busy being butthurt from being abroad and everyone acts as his wingman to help finish what he started before he left… if he can stop being butthurt.

Part 1: Winter Constellations

Part 2: The Beauty of Snow

Part 3: December Dawns At Your Side

Part 4: Koi no Yukan: the feeling upon meeting someone that falling in love with them is inevitable

The first time he laid his eyes on her, he swore he could have heard the twang of Cupid’s bow and felt the arrow strike right in his heart.

Sasuke remembered the first time he met her, back in kindergarten. Her short hair and pale eyes enraptured him, and her shy nature made him want to follow her wherever she went. He was hooked on the shy girl with the pale eyes and short hair that smelled like incense.

Unfortunately, that meant following her following Naruto who followed Sakura who is friends with Ino who is best friends with Shikamaru who is neighbors with Kiba who is best friends with Shino.

But it didn’t matter to Sasuke. Hinata was a safe place for him outside of his dysfunctional family. He hung around her at every opportunity - in class, between classes, during lunch, after school. ‘Hinata’s Shadow’, they teasingly called him.

And so, their ragtag group of 8 stuck together because Hinata’s friends became his friends by default, and he couldn’t get rid of them no matter how hard he tried. Growing up together, Sasuke’s feelings for her grew deeper. But he pushed those feelings down as he had seen firsthand how her crush on Naruto deepened.

Sasuke’s feelings for Hinata were apparent between everyone in the group, except her. In a strange turn of events, everyone in the group became Sasuke’s wingman.

Shino and Kiba often invited them to places to hang out and planned to leave after a couple minutes - only to end up having more fun with the two of them around because they only chose arcade places to hang out.

Shikamaru often strategized with Ino to get Sasuke and Hinata alone together - only to end up with Ino having more fun with Hinata and Sasuke resulting in the two never having alone time.

Naruto and Sakura came close to having Hinata realize Sasuke’s feelings for her when they helped Sasuke surprise her with a homemade meal - only for her to realize Sasuke had nicked himself with a knife and promptly began first aid, forgetting about the homemade meal of her favorite foods.

Sasuke, determined to let her know about his feelings, had planned - by himself - that he’d confess to her before their final school year ended.

But everything changed when his father secured a new business deal that took him away from his sunlight and abroad into the darkness.

He rarely kept in touch after he left.

He glanced at her from his seat on the floor. She was bustling around the kitchen, preparing breakfast for all of them. From the looks of it, she was preparing a large pot of miso to warm them up. The day was supposed to be particularly cold, if he was remembering the forecast correctly.

Sasuke watched as she flitted about moving between whisking the eggs in one bowl and whisking miso paste in the pot on the stove. He shifted his eyes to the large group on the floor, still fast asleep. Suppressing a frown, Sasuke got up from his seat and silently moved into the kitchen.

Hinata barely noticed him, too focused on her task of whisking the miso paste until it was smoothly mixed into the broth.

“Let me help you,” Sasuke’s voice was low enough for both of them to hear.

Hinata looked up, shocked, as if she forgot Sasuke woke up around the same time as her. She blinked, erasing the surprise from her face and smiled.

Sasuke’s heart skipped a beat.

“Thank you, Sasuke-kun,” she whispered. She handed him partially whisked eggs. “Please, can you finish making the scrambled eggs?”

He nodded once and took the bowl from her hand. Quietly, they moved about the tiny kitchen cooking breakfast for their friends. Hinata dumped the last of the vegetables to simmer in the broth. Looking over Sasuke’s shoulder, she gave him a thumbs up on his progress.

“Looks great, Sasuke-kun,” she softly smiled. “Oh!” Hinata padded over the small refrigerator. She took out a small bag filled with tomatoes and offered it to him. Sasuke raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“I know it’s not tomato season b-but I tried to pick ones that would taste the best. Help yourself and cut as many as you like.”

“Hn.” His fingers lightly brushed against hers as he took the small bag from her. “Thank you.”

Hinata nodded - and, maybe he was looking too hard, but it looked like there was a tinge of blush on her cheeks - and moved to setting the table.

For a moment, as he was sliding off the last of the scrambled eggs onto a large plate, he felt at home. Grabbing a couple tomatoes from the bag, he turned to the sink to rinse them.

The scent of breakfast permeating the room brought back memories of happier times. He could hear his mother softly humming, the soft padded footsteps of his older brother helping their mother in the kitchen, the rustle of the newspaper his father always read. Sasuke thought of the melody his mother used to sing while she cooked.

A soft gasp broke his reverie and he turned around, seeing Hinata’s eyes frozen on him.

Sasuke’s heartbeat quickened in panic. Had he actually sung the song out loud? A blush creeped on his face. He wanted to hide, right now.

“I-I forgot to make the rice!” she said with a breathy voice and rushed towards him, collecting the cooking bowl. Hinata scooped out rice from the rice container, not paying attention to the amount.

In a couple steps, Hinata stood next to him at the sink. Sasuke stiffened.

“E-excuse me, Sasuke-kun,” she turned the faucet towards her and began washing the rice. Sasuke nodded and leaned against the counter, watching her.

The soft scent of incense wafted to his nose as it was often stuck on her clothes. Her family owned the famous onsen-ji they were staying in and as the heir of the family business, Hinata had the privilege of leading the morning prayer at the temple and burning the first incense of the day to bring their establishment good luck.

Looking down at her features, Sasuke noticed how her lips still held a small smile as if she was ready to greet someone. Her hands gracefully swirled the water as she repeatedly rinsed and drained the rice until the water ran clear.

Hinata carefully measured the water and satisfied with the amount, she placed it in the rice cooker. A soft melody played as she set it to cook.

Sasuke’s eyes followed her as she reached for a hand towel to dry off her hands. Her hands were smooth and looked soft. ‘Hands are still so soft, as always,’ he thought to himself.

“U-um, rice water,” Hinata stuttered, cheeks ablaze. “R-rice water helps with skin softening.” Her voice grew quiet at the end as she avoided his gaze. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at the realization of what brought about her response.

“Hnn.” He inwardly cursed himself for not being able to keep his thoughts to himself. How could he still be so awkward after being friends with her for so long? His eyes searched around him, ready to turn away and put this little incident tucked away in his mind, never to be thought of again.

Hinata turned her attention back to the table and finished setting up for breakfast. The rest of their time was spent in silence, the only noises being from the soft snoring of their friends, the slick sound of the kitchen knife Sasuke found to cut his tomatoes, and the soft bubbling of the miso soup.

Too focused on his task, Sasuke didn’t hear when Hinata came around him to check on the miso on the stove. He nicked himself when he heard a soft sigh behind him.

“Shit,” he hissed and immediately he put his finger in his mouth to stop the bleeding. With his free hand, he gathered the already cut up tomatoes and placed them in a small bowl.

Hinata turned around holding the pot of miso soup with potholders.

“Sasuke-kun, are you almost done – oh, no!” Hinata quickly set the pot on the counter.

“It’s just a small cut,” he whispered, taking his finger from his mouth.

Hinata made a tutting noise as she sprayed some antiseptic on a small gauze pad.

“This reminds me of the time in high school when you prepared a meal for me,” she whispered. Her bangs gently hung, shielding her eyes from him.

He couldn’t find the words to answer her. Did she know the real reason why he cooked for her?

“A lot of things have changed but it seems you’re still finding ways to get hurt, Sasuke-kun,” a smile was hidden in her words.

Sasuke stared down at her, letting her words register in his mind. Had he wallowed for too long in his own selfish, self-pity that he believed he’d be an outsider to his group of friends?

Hinata messaged him and even sent a care package that Sasuke made full use of. He even saved every one of her texts.

Naruto sent him postcards from his trips around Japan, which Sasuke pinned to his bedroom wall.

Shikamaru often invited him to play mobile games, which Sasuke often indulged in.

Ino mailed him murder-mystery books for him to read - often in Japanese, a relief for him - after she read them first because she knew he’d like them.

Sakura sent him a variety of exercise gear, often coupled with various tools to alleviate pain and soreness.

Kiba sent him multiple self-defense training videos, and even shared his subscription with him - which Sasuke greatly appreciated as it helped out with certain people Sasuke took care of.

Shino, ever observant, sent Sasuke multiple recipes based on Hinata’s cooking. Recipes that Sasuke tried and failed to recreate the taste - but the boys were too stubborn to ask Hinata her secrets.

‘Have I really been an idiot?’

Hinata wrapped the bandage around his finger and smiled up at him.

With his head bowed and with a shaky voice he answered, “Thank you, for taking care of me.”

[crystaltrinket]

Written in the Stars - SasuHina - Winter Week 2021

*waves* Hi, dudes! Sorry for the long delay. Work has been crazy, and school just started today. Part 8 (final) will come as soon as I have some time ;)

Enjoy! @shweekly

Written in the Stars | SasuHina | Summary: Modern AU - Sasuke never got the chance to tell Hinata his feelings towards her before he left to study abroad. Now he’s back. AKA: Sasuke is too busy being butthurt from being abroad and everyone acts as his wingman to help finish what he started before he left… if he can stop being butthurt.

Part 1: Winter Constellations

Part 2: The Beauty of Snow

Part 3: December Dawns At Your Side

Part 4: Koi no Yukan - the feeling that upon meeting someone that falling in love with them is inevitable

Part 5: Snow In

Part 6: Confessions Under the Winter Moonlight

Part 7: The Flavor of Peppermint.

Sasuke doesn’t know how to describe his feelings. He looked at Hinata; her face was turned away from him as she was wiping tears from her face. Did he hear her correctly?

‘I like you, Sasuke-kun,’ her words echoed in his mind. ‘I like you.’

“Wh…What did you say?”

Hinata took a shuddering breath and looked at him with still wet eyes. “I like you, Sasuke-kun.”

Sasuke’s eyes widened. The kinks in his mind slowly started moving at the realization of Hinata’s confession. His mind began to race. He likes her. And she likes him back.

Sasuke softly chuckled. He gripped her hand, still cupped in his hand.

“Sasuke-kun, I understand if you don’t reciprocate my feelings…” he heard her say.

“No,” he breathed out between his soft laughter. “You don’t understand.”

“Sasuke-kun?”

“I…,” he looked at her intently. “I like you too, Hinata.” Sasuke heard her softly gasp. “You cannot believe how many times I wished to hear those words come from you.” He brought her gloved hand to the side of his face. “Even if you didn’t, I’d be content with just being your friend.”

Hinata brought up her other hand to cup Sasuke’s face. “I’m sorry it took me so long,” she said softly.

Sasuke shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m just relieved we’re on the same page now.”

Hinata giggled, encircling Sasuke in a tight hug. “I’m glad, Sasuke-kun.”

Sasuke let out a slow, steadying breath as he brought his arms around her. “I’m glad too.”

-

Sasuke and Hinata came back inside the inn a little after one in the morning. They tiptoed softly into the communal area where their friends were still sleeping. The monks were also fast asleep on the other side of the communal area. The rest of the patrons had retired back to their own rooms.

“Tea?” Hinata mouthed to him as she pointed towards the kitchen. Sasuke inclined in his head and allowed her to lead the way.

Inside the kitchen, Hinata carefully set about preparing them both tea. “I hope peppermint is okay. It’s the only tea we have that’s caffeine-free. Hopefully we'll be able to sleep later.” Sasuke nodded and watched as she moved fluidly in the kitchen and presented him with his cup with an air of full tea ceremony flair.

Sasuke gratefully took the steaming cup from her and softly blew on it. “Thank you,” he whispered. Taking a quick sip, he tested the temperature of the tea before taking a longer sip. As the scent of peppermint wafted up to his nose, he committed the aroma to memory.

Hinata nodded and gingerly took a sip from her own cup. They stood against the stainless-steel counter of the kitchen inn. A comfortable silence fell upon them as they warmed up from their tea. Sasuke stared at her, almost in disbelief that what transpired earlier was in fact, real. As real as she was standing before him drinking tea with a soft flush to her face.

Hinata caught his stare and her blush deepened. “What is it, Sasuke-kun?”

Sasuke set his cup down on the counter with a soft clink. “Nothing,” he shook his head softly. “You’re just…full of surprises.” He reached out and brought her closer to him in a close hug. Sasuke inhaled the soft scent of incense that clung to her hair. He felt at peace, and at least part of his plan was complete.

Hushed voices could be heard from the kitchen. Sasuke repressed a sigh. He wanted to savor the moment with Hinata before coming out to their friends in the morning. He looked down at Hinata, who looked at him through her lashes, with mirth in her pale eyes.

“There’s no secret passageway to the Presidential Suite from the kitchen, is there?” he whispered into her hair.

“There isn’t,” Hinata giggled into her cup. “We might as well tell them to come in. It sounds like they’ve been waiting for some time now.”

“No,” he flatly answered. “I want to keep you to myself for a while.”

Sasuke and Hinata jumped as the kitchen door slammed open and their friends fell over in a heap on the kitchen threshold. They were met with surprised stares.

“Seriously, teme?! You couldn’t wait until we were awake to confess? We had a plan all setup!” Naruto exclaimed from the bottom of the pile.

“I don’t know, I think I liked how it turned out,” Shikamaru noted from under Ino. “We didn’t have to do much of anything, at all.”

Ino rolled her eyes. “It’s not about how much we had to do.”

“It’s about getting Sasuke and Hinata-chan together!” Sakura finished.

“About time, really,” Kiba grumbled from on top of Sakura.

Shino nodded. “Why? Because we got tired of seeing you both pine after each other for so long.”

“So, teme,” Naruto propped his chin up on his palm. “How’d you do it?”

“Actually,” Hinata’s voice grew small as she shyly met her friends’ stares. “I confessed to Sasuke-kun.”

Their friends were quiet as they processed this new piece of information. Their eyes never left Hinata’s blushed face. Then it exploded into chaos as they clamored towards the young heiress in a mix of surprise and congratulation.

Sasuke brought her in closer, slightly sloshing the tea in her cup, to shield her from the commotion.

“Hinata-chan, you what!”

“Oh my god, Hinata-chan~!”

"I didn't know you had it in you, Hinata-chan!"

Naruto put a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder and gave him a huge grin. “So, when’s the wedding?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Idiot. That won’t be until a couple years down the line.”

Their group of friends collectively erupted in knowing and teasing oooh’s over Sasuke’s admission with Naruto's friendly teasing being the loudest. He stiffened, realization dawning over his own words, and looked down at Hinata to assess her reaction.

Hinata looked away, her face was ablaze with embarrassment. She bit her lip but the telling curve from the corner of her lips, showed the small happiness she tried to hide.

Sasuke smirked at the blond over his shoulder. "Keep it up and you won't be invited."

Naruto gaped at his response, at a loss for words.

"H-Hinata-chan, tell him he can't do that!"

Sasuke turned around to whisper something in her ear. She stifled her laughter behind a closed fist, her eyes drifting to Naruto's pleading gaze.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun," Hinata inclined her head in apology. If Naruto’s jaw could drop any further, it would hit the ground and then some. Their friends doubled over in laughter at their friend's shocked reaction.

“Teme!”

-

Daylight came too fast for Sasuke. One moment he was in the kitchens with his friends, laughing at Naruto’s antics and the next, he was tucked in his futon with Hinata next to him squeezing in some extra hours of sleep before her work began.

If only this could last for a couple hours more, he thought to himself.

He sat up in his futon and looked around the room. Everyone was still asleep, too tired from the early morning surprise. He looked down to see Hinata still in deep sleep. Sasuke tapped on his phone to check the time. Hinata’s alarm wouldn’t go off for another forty-five minutes and he had one unread message. He bit back a groan and made a mental note to respond to that text after his first priority of the morning.

He slowly got out of his futon, careful to not make any noise. Sasuke crept out of the room and silently went down the stairs to find Hinata’s assistant just entering through the back door.

“Uchiha-san, good morning” Ko said while he stamped some snow from his shoes. “You are up very early.”

“Morning,” Sasuke responded curtly. He pursed his lips, seeing the other man’s confused expression. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.

Ko paused. “How can I help you?”

“I have some…requests.”

The older man raised an eyebrow and leaned forward with an interested look on his face.

-

Hinata stood by Sasuke at the entrance of the inn, watching the city workers plow through the snow that blanketed the city and confined them to the onsen-ji.

“You did a good job shoveling some of the snow, Sasuke-kun,” Hinata glanced at him. A scowl was on his face as the snow plow pushed through the small dent he made. “You don’t have to pout.”

Sasuke shifted his eyes away from the large winter service vehicle that should have been there the first day they were snowed in. Not like Sasuke was mentally cursing the contraption for not being there when he was shoveling the large amounts of snow on Hinata’s birthday. “I’m not pouting.”

“Hmmm,” she hummed knowingly. “We’ve been friends for too long, Sasuke-kun. I know you.”

A corner of his lips quirked up in his telltale sign of a smile. “Is that so?”

Hinata’s bangs bounced as she nodded her head. “Quite so.”

Sasuke turned his head slightly to stare at her. She looked at him with a jovial look in her eyes, one that he was very familiar with.

“I hope now that we’re together, we’ll be saying those same things when we’re old and wrinkly.”

Sasuke watched as Hinata’s face slowly turned red. She clapped her hands to her cheeks, to try and hide her blushing face. “Sasuke-kun!”

He chuckled at her expense, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I know you too well, Hinata,” he whispered in her ear.

Hinata’s head turned, her nose barely grazing his own, and Sasuke noticed that she’s a little closer than she was last night on the roof. His eyes trailed to her lips, bowlike and parted. He glanced up to look into her eyes and pale eyes stared back at him, glimmering with anticipation.

Sasuke's heartbeat was pounding in his chest as Hinata tilted her head up. He followed her lead and leaned down, almost grazing her lips when a loud noise made the both of them jump apart.

"Oh, gross, teme! Not in front of the kids!"

Sasuke glared at their friends gathered at the door. Sakura and Ino hid knowing smiles behind their hands while the boys loudly hooted for them to continue. Sasuke let out an irritated sigh and raked a hand through his black hair.

"You're gonna wish you were never born, dobe," he growled.

"Oh, don't stop on our account," Ino waved a hand nonchalantly in the air. "We just love seeing our friends be happy."

"We're rooting for you, Sasuke," Kiba winked at Sasuke's glowering stare.

Hinata squeaked as she brought her hands back up to hide her flushed face. "U-um, -"

"No."

“Where’s a flute glass when you need one?” Naruto sighed. Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he caught a sly grin on Naruto’s face.

“What are you –” he started.

Naruto began rhythmically clapping his hands. “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

Soon the others joined in, goading the couple to kiss in front of them. Sasuke rolled his eyes. He was unwilling to be peer pressured to do something Hinata was not yet comfortable doing with peeping eyes. He instinctively brought Hinata closer to him, covering her flushed face with the sleeve of his yukata.

“Seriously?” he hissed.

Sasuke quickly spotted Hinata’s assistant standing behind the group. Ko had an annoyed look on his face, rolling his eyes at Naruto’s antics. He caught Sasuke’s gaze and loudly cleared his throat. Immediately, their friends stopped their chorus at the sound of Ko’s annoyed tone.

“Excuse me, Uchiha-san,” he said. Hinata peeked out from under Sasuke’s sleeve. Ko raised an eyebrow at the action. Sasuke met his questioning stare with an impassive gaze.

“Yes?” he asked.

Ko recovered quickly, his assistant-mask in place. “Your requests have been fulfilled and are ready for your usage.”

“Requests?” Hinata looked up at Sasuke.

“Usage?” Naruto made a face. “Sounds…gross.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Thanks,” he nodded to Ko. “And it’s not gross.” He put an arm around Hinata’s shoulders and motioned with his chin towards the temple gardens. “Let’s head over there.”

“Huh? What the heck, teme- Ah!” Naruto yelped as Sakura pulled on his ear.

“Shut it, and let’s go,” she scolded. Ino laughed as Sakura dragged Naruto behind Sasuke and Hinata. The rest of the boys followed, shaking their heads at Naruto’s tactless behavior.

The walk to the private garden was covered in snow. The temple itself was very old as most of the architecture was from the Heian period. The gardens had a small pavilion that guests mostly used for a traditional tea service. They followed the stone path that was swept clear by one of the younger monks of the temple, passing by small stone sculptures covered in snow. Trees lined their walk, with snow softly falling from their branches as they passed.

The tea pavilion followed in style with the temple and was traditionally built and housed on top of short stilts. Flowering plum blossom trees surrounded the pavilion, with some snow lightly clustered on their thin branches. A light breeze carried their fragrance around the garden.

“Wow,” Sakura breathed out. “The gardens are so beautiful, Hinata-chan.”

“Thank you, Sakura-chan,” Hinata said. She got out from under Sasuke’s arm to fall in step with Sakura and Ino. “The monks do a great job maintaining its aesthetic.”

“You sure this isn’t some private thing for you and Hinata?” Shikamaru whispered to Sasuke as the girls became engrossed in their conversation.

“I’m sure,” he cut his eyes to Shikamaru’s skeptical gaze. “I wanted to do something nice for her since we missed out on her birthday yesterday.”

“Oh shi-!” Naruto’s outburst was clamped down by Kiba tightly putting his arm around the back of Naruto’s neck. Shino put a hand on Naruto’s shoulder.

“No need to ruin Sasuke’s surprise,” he nodded. Naruto sheepishly nodded and gestured to himself, zippering his lips closed.

“Yea,” Shikamaru sighed. “We dropped the ball on that one.”

Sasuke shrugged. “She wasn’t exactly thinking about her birthday either.” He turned his head to see her laughing over something Ino said. “And since my confession to her didn’t go exactly as planned…”

Shikamaru nodded his head. “We’ll do whatever you want to make this surprise go how you planned.”

Kiba and Shino readily agreed, clapping Sasuke on his back while Naruto speedily nodded his head and gave him a thumbs up.

Sasuke’s lips lifted in one corner as he looked at his friends. “Just…be happy with her.”

With the tea pavilion in sight, Sasuke stepped forward before any of his friends could enter first. His heart was pounding his chest, nervousness built up in his throat as if he was about to puke.

“Sasuke-kun?” Hinata subtly shivered from the chill of the cold. Snow softly fell from the tops of the trees, carried by the slight breeze. Sasuke took in her beauty, committing it to memory.

“Come here,” he gestured for her to come closer to him. She shuffled towards him, kicking up some snow. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Close your eyes.”

Sasuke steadied Hinata with his free hand, murmuring to her under his breath to take small steps. He turned his head to their friends and brought a finger to his lips to silence them. Nodding, they followed his lead into the tea pavilion.

Inside, a low table was in the center of the small room, decorated with a big feast, enough to feed all of them and have some leftovers. On a smaller table close to one of the windows, were cinnamon rolls arranged in the shape of a small cake. Steaming cups of tea were set for them to take. Soft lights were strewn up to illuminate the room.

Once they were all inside, Sasuke dropped his arm from Hinata’s shoulders. He turned to see their friends stunned at the scenery before them. Softly smiling, he took Hinata’s hand. “Okay, open your eyes.”

Hinata blinked a couple times, adjusting her eyesight to the soft glow of the lights. She softly gasped and squeezed his hand. “Sasuke-kun, how’d you manage this?” Her eyes glittered at the sight before her.

Sasuke nonchalantly lifted a shoulder. “I’ve got my connections.”

Hinata turned to look at him, furrowing her brows. “What’s all this for?”

Sasuke blinked, trying to hide his mirthful gaze behind an impassive glance. “Ah. Belated happy birthday, Hinata.”

[crystaltrinket]

Written in the Stars - SasuHina - Winter Week 2021

Happy New Year, dudes! Continuing the next installment of Written in the Stars. Apologies for being late as life took time from writing. Part 7 is in the works, atm!

Enjoy! @shweekly

Written in the Stars | SasuHina | Summary: Modern AU - Sasuke never got the chance to tell Hinata his feelings towards her before he left to study abroad. Now he’s back. AKA: Sasuke is too busy being butthurt from being abroad and everyone acts as his wingman to help finish what he started before he left… if he can stop being butthurt.

Part 1: Winter Constellations

Part 2: The Beauty of Snow

Part 3: December Dawns At Your Side

Part 4: Koi no Yukan - the feeling that upon meeting someone that falling in love with them is inevitable

Part 5: Snowed In

Part 6: Confessions Under the Winter Moonlight

Hinata didn’t see much of Sasuke after sharing breakfast with him. She didn’t have too much time to spend with him but she relished his reaction when he bit into the onigiri. She knew it was one of his favorites and it was such an easy dish to make, she’d make it any time for him.

After they both finished the tray of food she brought out, Hinata encouraged him to come back inside but Sasuke turned down the offer. She softly smiled, which Sasuke returned.

“Come back inside when you’re ready,” Hinata patted a mittened hand on his arm. Sasuke nodded in response and set out to continue shoveling the snow.

Inside of the inn, things were going smoothly - better than what Hinata imagined. The other patrons of the inn were familiar and frequent visitors. Having the inn as the family business and working there all her life gave her time to get to know, not only the ins and outs of the business, but the people who enjoyed their establishment.

It was one of the defining differences between her and her father. Both new and older guests gravitated toward the soft-spoken heiress, something that Hinata knew was good for the onsen-ji but terrible for her social anxiety.

“Hinata-san, what a great idea you had,” one of the guests complimented her.

Hinata slightly bowed in thanks to the older couple before her. “I’m glad you are enjoying yourself, Taisho-san.”

The older gentleman nodded and tipped his head towards the door. “I see you and Fugaku’s son are still friends.”

Hinata felt her face become hot. It was well-known that the older Uchiha aimed to have his sons follow his lead in the family business. The oldest son Itachi was as distinguished as Neji in the business world. With Hinata following in her father’s footsteps, Fugaku didn’t expect less for his own younger son. But Sasuke had different plans for his future than what his father had planned. Fugaku rarely held back the disdain he had for his younger son’s lack of drive.

“Yes,” the young heiress nodded. “I’m happy to call him one of my friends, if not my closest friend.”

Taisho-san nodded. “It would be interesting to see a Uchiha-Hyuuga merger someday, don't you think?”

Taisho-san's wife lightly patted her husband's arm. "Playing matchmaker, are we?"

The older gentleman shrugged, giving Hinata a playful wink.

Hinata held a tight smile on her face, unsure of how to respond.

To her relief, Sasuke entered the inn, shovel in hand, shaking off some snow from his yukata. His face was flushed from his outdoor task. Hinata brightened at the sight of him.

"If you will excuse me, Taisho-san," Hinata smiled and gave a quick bow to the older man and his wife and made her way to Sasuke's side.

Hinata hastened her footsteps before the other female employees could encircle him. Somehow, the idea that Sasuke began shoveling the snow to prove his worthiness to Hinata began to circulate among the young female employees. She was sure his so-called gallant effort would draw an unwanted crowd.

Sasuke caught her eyes as she headed towards him, giving her a tiny nod. She got to him just in time, as the younger female staff stood just around the corner.

"How's the work, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked, brushing off some snow from his hair.

Sasuke shrugged one shoulder. “It feels like I barely made a dent.”

Hinata softly laughed. “You don’t have to do this. It’s a lot of snow.”

Sasuke looked away, avoiding her gaze. “I wanted to be helpful.”

Hinata let her hand softly graze the side of Sasuke’s face, turning it towards her before she let it drop to her side. In a quiet voice she said, “You being here is helpful enough for me.”

Sasuke didn’t respond but she could feel his gaze on her. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

“Please stay.”

-

Later in the evening, Sasuke sat among his friends, warm under the kotatsu as one of the older monks from the temple told the tale of the power struggle between the Taira clan and the Minamoto clan to the guests of the inn. Many of the patrons were asleep, save for a few older ones who listened to the monk.

Next to him, Hinata sat, bobbing her head every so often. The rest of their friends around them fell asleep, snoring softly.

“And you know,” the older monk said slowly, “the Taira clan was so powerful, at their peak they claimed the bright red star as their symbol. The heike-boshi inside tsuzumi boshi. I think the Westerners call it Betelgeuse, in the constellation Orion.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. The Heike tale was something they briefly learned about in classical Japanese history, but their teachers never mentioned the old clan symbols. As he remembered it, the Taira clan was associated with a red swallowtail butterfly.

"What's funny is that the heike-boshi was believed to be the brightest star but now a different star is the brightest in tsuzumi boshi. I suppose, even the stars knew about the downfall of the Taira clan long before they did."

The monk went on to tell the trials and successes the Minamoto clan faced once they took power, but Sasuke wasn’t paying attention. Hinata’s head was laying on his shoulder and it took everything in him to calm his racing heartbeat.

He sat as still as a rock, trying to take calming breaths. Sasuke took a peek down at Hinata - she was still awake, though sleep was desperately trying to take over. He looked around, seeing his friends still asleep, and an idea popped into his head. He ticked his shoulder up to get her attention.

Hinata looked up at him with a questioning look in her doe-like eyes. Sasuke looked up towards the ceiling, then back down to her with a raised eyebrow.

With a knowing smile, she nodded. “Let me get my jacket,” she whispered.

Sasuke nodded and carefully folded the blanket of the kotatsu so as not to disturb their friends around them. Taking Hinata’s hand, he gingerly guided her through the sleeping pile their friends were in and managed to pass by unnoticed by the older monk and his small audience as he still regaled his tale.

In their room, Hinata grabbed a long, thick jacket and swapped her tabi for thicker socks and shoes. She had half a mind to change out of her kimono but decided against it. It would take too long to remove it and even longer to make sure everything was straightened out before leaving.

Sasuke put on a jacket over his yukata to keep him warm. His heart wasn’t beating as fast as it was earlier but now his hands were getting a little clammy. He had it all planned out when he was shoveling the snow earlier. Now that the time was drawing near, he found himself second-guessing his decision. Sasuke put aside his indecision when he saw Hinata slip on her jacket.

“Will you be okay climbing up the ladder in your kimono?” he asked.

Hinata zipped up her jacket and gave him a small smile. “I’ll manage.”

-

Hinata’s breath was noticeable as she took small steps, following Sasuke on the ladder to the roof of the temple.

Sasuke looked down at her between the ladder steps, concern evident on his face. She smiled; the sight was very familiar to her.

“Are you doing okay?”

Hinata nodded. “I’m fine, Sasuke-kun.”

Sasuke took his time, wiping snow away from them on the ladder steps to make it easier for her as she followed in his steps. Soon enough, he reached the top and pulled himself over the edge. Using both arms, he grabbed onto Hinata and helped her onto the temple roof.

“Have I gotten heavier since the last time we were on here?” she lightly joked.

Hinata saw a light blush on his face from her gentle teasing. “There’s more snow than there was four years ago. At least from what I can remember,” Sasuke murmured.

An embarrassed Sasuke was a sight few had the privilege to see. A rare blush dusted his face as he looked down at the snow covering the roof. Hinata carefully walked toward him, extending her hand.

“Shall we see who catches Orion first?”

Sasuke hummed in response and took her hand. He kicked off some thick snow from the roof, enough so that it wouldn't soak through their clothes. Once he was seated, he helped Hinata carefully sit down in her kimono.

"Had I known you'd wear this in snowy weather, I would have purchased different material," he softly chuckled.

Hinata put her hands to her face in embarrassment. "I… this is my favorite kimono!"

She heard his soft laughter in the quiet night. Hinata's face was blazing hot as if she told him her deepest secret.

"I'm glad you wore it."

Hinata turned her head toward him in surprise. "You are?"

"Mm," Sasuke nodded his head. "I didn't know if you… or if any of our friends would still be my friend after I moved away."

Hinata put a hand on his arm and squeezed it gently. "Sasuke-kun…"

"I have to admit that I was too deep in my feelings. I was angry my dad moved us so far away, like he just took us and uprooted everything like we have to bend to his will and just go along with it…" Sasuke looked up at the sky. It was clear, not a cloud in sight. Wind lightly blew, casting a chill around them.

"I looked up at the sky, every night, as it was the only solace I had in our new place. It was the only thing I knew would be the same for you, for our friends." Sasuke turned to look at her. "I'm… sorry that I didn't keep up with our text messages. Or with anyone. Now that I look back at it, it seemed more like a one-sided friendship than an actual one."

Hinata moved her hand from his arm to hold his hand. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this, Sasuke-kun. There were times when I thought I was annoying you, especially when our communication wasn’t consistent.

It was hard being your friend. And after being friends with you for so long, I didn’t want to lose your friendship. That’s why, even though my insecurities told me otherwise, I continued to send you texts, send you my worries because…I still valued your friendship. And somehow, I knew I’d get a response back, be it eight or twelve hours later. I’d hear a little chime on my phone, and I’d know it was you.”

Sasuke squeezed her hand. “I was foolish. I’m really sorry, Hinata.”

Hinata looked down at their clasped hands and thought about her next set of words carefully. There were unspoken words between them, and she wanted to make sure he fully understood what she was trying to say.

“I think…I should be the one apologizing,” Hinata felt Sasuke twitch.

“What?” Sasuke crumpled his brow.

“I…like you, Sasuke-kun,” Hinata looked at him, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. “I like you and I’m sorry for not telling you before you left. I was the foolish one realizing it too late.”

[crystaltrinket]

Written in the Stars - SasuHina - Winter Week 2021

Hi, dudes! Happy Holidays! Part 5 has arrived, a little late but better than never. Forewarning that Parts 6, 7, and 8 will also be a little late. I've run out of pre-written work so this next sets will be on the fly.

Enjoy! @shweekly

Written in the Stars | SasuHina | Summary: Modern AU - Sasuke never got the chance to tell Hinata his feelings towards her before he left to study abroad. Now he’s back. AKA: Sasuke is too busy being butthurt from being abroad and everyone acts as his wingman to help finish what he started before he left… if he can stop being butthurt.

Part 1: Winter Constellations

Part 2: The Beauty of Snow

Part 3: December Dawns At Your Side

Part 4: Koi no Yukan - the feeling upon meeting someone that falling in love with them is inevitable

Part 5: Snowed In

They spent the next early mornings together, preparing breakfast for their friends. Sasuke usually waited for Hinata to wake up, before getting up and helping her prep. Their mornings were quiet as Sasuke followed Hinata’s lead on food preparation.

It wasn’t long before one of their friends found out about their morning routine. Sakura had woken up early and found them softly laughing in the kitchenette. Sasuke spotted her hiding around the corner, softly smiling at them. Catching Sasuke’s eyes, she gave him a thumb’s up and retreated back to their sleeping pile of friends.

Over the next two days, he found his friends subtly helping him out as they did when they were back in high school.

Sakura kept the group in their sleeping pile well until breakfast was finished and Naruto often corralled the other into cleaning up afterwards to give Sasuke and Hinata time to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Shino and Kiba arranged to keep the group preoccupied by engaging them in group games, pairing Sasuke and Hinata together.

Ino and Shikamaru made full use of the onsen and made their other friends agree to artfully leave the hot springs whenever Sasuke and Hinata were in conversation with each other.

Sasuke felt himself fall back into familiarity when he was around her. The words came out of him more easily and he wasn’t so nervous to think about what Hinata thought of him. Hinata’s demeanor around him changed, the more time they spent together. Her eyes seemed brighter, and she seemed a little more relaxed than when he first saw her a few days ago.

The night before Hinata’s birthday, Sasuke gathered his friends in secret and planned. It was time for him to finish what he started before he moved abroad - whether the outcome is good or bad.

The next morning, Sasuke woke up to find Hinata not in her usual spot. He heard her voice near the door of their room, speaking softly to someone just outside.

“Yes, I understand, Ko-san,” he heard her whisper. “I will take care of it.”

‘Ko-san?’ Sasuke thought to himself and racked his brain to put a face to the familiar name.

-

With a soft click, Hinata closed the door. Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back on the door and sighed. She had tried to keep a close eye on the weather forecast but her worst fear had happened overnight.

A snowstorm that was going through the country, brought a flurry of snow to the onsen-ji and caused a large mass of snow to cover the entire property. The patrons are all snowed in.

Hinata dragged her feet to her futon, ready to fall face forward. Through her years under her father’s instruction, he’s drilled into her the emergency procedures when it came to extreme weather conditions. She can hear his voice barking at her in the back of her mind, as she began to formulate her plan to care for the patrons within the onsen-ji and for her employees.

“Hinata?”

Her pale eyes met Sasuke’s searching gaze. “Is everything alright?” he asked softly.

Hinata knelt by his futon and put a warm hand on his arm. “Just a little snow, but it’s nothing I can’t manage.” She saw the look of skepticism in his eyes, but she ignored it and answered with an apologetic smile.

“I’ll just have to take care of a couple things because of the weather. Can you handle breakfast?”

Hinata smiled brighter when Sasuke gave her a determined nod.

“Thank you, Sasuke-kun,” Hinata squeezed his arm. Wrapping her yukata tighter around her, Hinata got up and quietly slipped out of the room.

Once out in the hallway of the onsen-ji, Hinata took a deep, shuddering breath and walked steadfastly to the main office, quickly flying down the stairs to get to her destination. She had no time to lose.

Her assistant, Ko, had met her just outside of the main office. “How can I help you, Hinata-sama?”

“Procure me a list of patrons in the onsen-ji, as well as the employees working today and the monks onsite at the temple.” Hinata pulled off one of the employee jackets from the back door hook to warm up.

“Right away, Hinata-sama,” Ko bowed his head and moved to the front office. Hinata immediately began shuffling through paperwork on the desk.

She looked through the inventory logs to see how many resources they had at the onsen-ji. ‘Damn,’ Hinata mentally cursed. A shipment that was due for delivery today was most likely not going to make it with the weather conditions outside. It would take hours for a path to be cleared from the onsen-ji to the main road. Hinata bit her lip.

“Hinata-sama,” Ko’s voice jolted the heiress from her thoughts. “Here is the list you asked for.”

Hinata scanned the list and sighed in relief - they were all familiar patrons, including her friends in the Presidential Suite. The employees working that day were well-seasoned in snowy weather situations. The monks at the temple were few but would most likely not be well-equipped for the weather.

“Invite the monks inside the inn, there isn’t enough insulation within the rooms of the temple to withstand the current temperatures. And,” Hinata paused in thought, unsure of what to do next. There’s no way a pathway could be shoveled with the amount of snow outside. She glanced down at the inventory logs on the desk. They had enough resources to last through the storm.

“And?” Ko asked.

Hinata took a deep breath and her father’s barking voice faded from the back of her mind.

“Have Hana-baachan prepare my kimono.”

-

Sasuke frowned. Breakfast wasn’t going as he planned. He wanted to make something special for Hinata’s birthday, but the birthday celebrant wasn’t present. And something wasn’t sticking to the rice exactly how he wanted it to do.

“Teme,” Naruto sleepily walked into the kitchenette. “Where’s Hinata-chan?”

“Naruto!” Sakura hissed from behind the blond. “Leave Sasuke and Hin- oh! Where is Hinata-chan?”

Sasuke sighed, tossing the ruined rice in the trash. “She had to take care of some stuff, so she slipped out earlier this morning.”

Sakura’s eyes widened. “Slipped out? What do you mean?”

Sasuke jerked his head towards the patio. Steam still rose from the hot springs, but snow covered the entire area around the hot springs.

“Woah!” Naruto exclaimed and opened the door to the patio. A light wind brought in a sprinkling of snow inside the room. “That snowstorm did a number overnight.”

Sakura shivered. “Great, now close the door.”

Sasuke heard Naruto snicker from his position. Bringing his sleeping yukata closer to him, Sasuke smirked as Naruto opened the patio door wide open.

“Wake up everyone! It’s a snow day!”

Loud grumbling could be heard from their sleeping pile of friends.

“Naruto, could you be more annoying?!” Ino sat up and rubbed at her eyes.

“He could.” Shino sat up in his futon and shrugged off his blanket. Ino glared at him from her position. Shino lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. “I’m just saying.”

The rest of the group got up, shivering as they got closer to the patio to see the snow.

“We’re likely to be snowed-in for a couple days,” Shikamaru noted. “It’ll take some time for the snow to be shoveled for a pathway to open up.”

Sasuke nodded in agreement. It made sense to him as to why Hinata left so early in the morning. She had a business to take care of.

A sharp rapping at the door drew away their attention from the patio. Sasuke swiftly moved and opened the door wide open. Instead of seeing Hinata, a man with short spiky hair and pale eyes greeted him.

“Good morning, Uchiha-san.” Sasuke flinched at the formal address. “Hinata-sama has invited everyone to gather in the communal area.”

Sasuke stared hard and looked the man up and down to gauge his relationship to Hinata. His short brown hair was similar in color to her father’s and the pale eyes obviously indicated a familial relationship. Sasuke internally breathed a sigh of relief.

The man cleared his throat. “I will take my lea-”

“Hn,” Sasuke interrupted him and slammed the door in his face.

“Sasuke!” Sakura exasperatedly ran her hand over her face. She walked over and opened the door back up.

“Ko-san!” she greeted him cheerily. “What’s the occasion?”

Ko gave her a small smile. “Hinata-sama has decided to bring the guests of the onsen-ji together due to the unfortunate weather circumstances. She believes it’s better to stay together during these times than apart.”

-

Hinata worked fast. She had Ko invite the patrons to the communal area for a more Western style bed and breakfast experience. While he went around the inn, she headed for the kitchens and began helping the staff prepare a traditional Japanese breakfast for their guests.

“Hinata-sama, please allow me,” one of the kitchen staff took a heavy tray from her. “It’s your birthday, Hinata-sama, you should be out with the guests. We will take care of it from here.”

Hinata shook her head. “I think you know me well enough, Haru-baachan. I can’t leave you all here while there’s so much work to do.” Hinata peeked out through the kitchen windows to see the guests settling into the cushions around the kotatsu tables.

The older woman shook her head and smiled at the young heiress. “Who is this tray for, Hinata-sama?”

“It’s for Room 34, Taisho-san and his wife.”

Hinata turned her attention back to the three trays of food each partially arranged with miso soup and onigiri in front of her. She didn’t plan for her birthday to go this way, but she didn’t have much of a choice given the weather. Things had been going so well during her time with her friends, especially with Sasuke. While she had been friends with all of them for more than ten years, it was with Sasuke where she felt a deeper connection.

Hinata smiled to herself as she remembered her infatuation with Naruto when she was younger. The blonde's personality was like a bright light for a shy girl like her. She admired his way of lighting up a room as soon as he stepped in. His way with words could easily sway anyone. He had all the characteristics of a successful businessperson.

So, she followed him all throughout her youth and well into middle school, hoping her friendship with him would turn into something romantic. It took a long time for her to realize, it was only admiration she felt for him.

She kicked herself for not noticing Sasuke’s feelings for her earlier in their friendship. It would have saved a lot of heartache for the both of them. Out of all of them, Sasuke was the first person she ran to without question. Even when he moved abroad, she still kept in contact, often texting her worries to him at odd hours of the night. Her friends knew how much she dreaded taking over the business, but Sasuke was the only one who knew what she was going through. They were there for each other through thick and thin.

"Hinata-sama," Ko's voice jumped her out of her reverie. "The guests are all present, except for one."

Hinata furrowed her brow. "Oh? Who is it?"

Loud chattering bustled through the kitchen as two of the younger female staff re-entered, holding empty trays. Something had them worked up. Hinata turned an ear towards them.

"Did you see him out front? In just his sleeping yukata??"

"I've never seen someone like him before! So handsome and so mysterious," the young female employee sighed dreamily.

Hinata turned to her assistant to see him frowning. "The young Uchiha has set out to create a pathway from the inn to the main road."

-

Sasuke wasn't sure what came over him. As their friends got ready to go down to the communal area another idea popped into his head. City workers would take a couple days to get to the main road because of the amount of snow they'd need to plow through.

He doesn't remember much from his dad's fruitless business teachings, but he does know consistent deliveries help make a business thrive.

Shikamaru is the only one to notice he doesn't get dressed.

"You got something else in mind?" he asked.

Sasuke looked at him askance. "Oh, I don't know. I planned on playing in the snow for a bit. Just gotta find a shovel somewhere."

Shikamaru nodded and adjusted his yukata. "I do believe there is a shovel in the back room of the front office. At least, that's the last time I saw it when Kiba and I went downstairs last night."

Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. "I guess I'll need a way to get it."

"Ah," Shikamaru's eyes glinted. "Ino had been asking about the floral artwork in the front office. I'm sure the receptionist would be knowledgeable about them. It'll be a long conversation knowing Ino."

"Hn," Sasuke pulled out a thermal undershirt and pants, and a pair of gloves from his luggage. He shrugged off the top part of his yukata and put on his thermal and slipped on his pants underneath.

"It'll be cold out," his friend noted with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sure playing in the snow will keep me warm," Sasuke pulled on some socks. "Are you ready to head out?"

Getting the shovel from the back room of the front office was easy. The older woman fell into long winded stories about the floral paintings and with Ino’s inquisitive questions, Sasuke was able to get in and out unseen by the older woman.

Shikamaru winked as Sasuke slipped out of the front door.

The sun shone brightly as Sasuke stepped out. A shiver went through him as the wind breezed through. Snow completely covered the entirety of the entrance of the onsen-ji and the road leading out to the main road.

“No time like right now,” Sasuke whispered to himself and began shoveling.

Sasuke doesn’t know how much time he spent outside, too engrossed in his self-appointed task. The amount of snow is too much for one person but for Hinata, he can manage it.

He doesn’t hear the soft crunching of snow nor the soft huffing behind him. But he turned when he saw a wisp of purple fabric from the corner of his eye. Hinata stood before him, cheeks blushing, and with steaming hot food on a tray held in her mittened hands.

“Sasuke-kun, care for breakfast?”

[crystaltrinket]

Written in the Stars - SasuHina - Winter Week 2021

Hi, hi! Coming clutch with Part 3 for @shweekly :) This one is not as long as the previous installments, but that's okay. Not too much SasuHina interaction as this is more Sasuke-centered.

Enjoy!

Written in the Stars | SasuHina | Summary: Modern AU - Sasuke never got the chance to tell Hinata his feelings towards her before he left to study abroad. Now he’s back. AKA: Sasuke is too busy being butthurt from being abroad and everyone acts as his wingman to help finish what he started before he left… if he can stop being butthurt.

Part 1: Winter Constellations

Part 2: The Beauty of Snow

Part 3: December Dawns At Your Side

Sasuke’s eyes fluttered as he felt himself rouse from sleep. He forgot where he was for a moment and in a panic, shot up from his futon.

He was greeted by the soft snoring of his friends. Sasuke heard rustling next to him and saw Hinata move in her sleep. Smiling to himself, he brought up her blanket to shield from the chill. He looked out to the patio and saw dawn just barely breaking.

Sasuke settled himself back onto his futon and pulled his blanket up under his chin. He couldn’t fall back asleep now.

Waking early was a habit he couldn’t get rid of - no matter how late he slept, his internal alarm clock woke him up at the same time every day.

He looked around the room and slightly smiled. His friends’ sleeping habits didn’t seem to change. Naruto still slept splayed out, his blanket crooked on his body. Sakura still slept on her side, a hand lightly gripping Naruto’s blanket.

Shino slept tightly wrapped, in a cocoon - as if he never moved at all while he slept. Kiba still slept on his stomach, his arms underneath his pillow.

Shikamaru was laid on his back, softly snoring while Ino laid on her side, toward him.

Sasuke’s eyes slid towards Hinata, lying next to him. She too slept on her side, facing him. Sometime during the night, she must have moved closer to him. Their proximity granted him a better look at her features. They had slept in the same positions at every sleepover, but he never got tired of looking at her.

Hinata’s soft breaths still indicated she was in deep sleep. Nothing much had changed during the years while he was abroad. It was true that she looked a little bit older, but didn’t they all?

Sasuke wished he could reach out to touch her. Her cheeks still had a certain roundess to them, her nose still pert and delicate, and her lips - Sasuke gulped - her bowlike lips held laughter and secret smiles. She still looked as angelic as he thought. Was this really the girl who used a harsh businesswoman tone with them yesterday?

His thoughts then drifted to yesterday. He didn’t realize Hinata went through so much to please her father. She studied hard and got into a prestigious business school in Tokyo - the same one her cousin Neji graduated from. Her internship was completed at a reputable company, all the while completing her daily duties necessary for her at the temple.

It was a wonder she hasn’t collapsed from exhaustion yet.

Sasuke couldn’t help himself and reached out to gently stroke the side of her face. Hinata quietly sighed as she nestled into his hand. Their pathways weren’t too much different from each other. Both had businessmen as fathers who were away from home often and siblings that were obvious favorites.

Sasuke grimaced as he thought about his father. From a young age, he and his older brother Itachi were pitted against each other with mind games that were supposedly good for their brain development. But the more often Itachi bested him in those mind games, the less confident Sasuke became in his youth.

He no longer took part in the brain games as he got older, instead opting to stay in his room as soon as he got home. It drew a wedge between the two brothers and being abroad didn't bring them closer either. Sasuke's fingers slipped through the silky strands of Hinata's long hair.

Now that he thought about it, Itachi never seemed to pay attention to him. Once they moved abroad. He was always too busy with handling their father's business and often was away with their father on business trips. Not that he cared, anyway. As a young boy, a businessman's life wasn’t one he strived to have after seeing how unhappy it made his mother. His father's constant need for wanting more and needing more left an unpleasant taste in mouth.

‘Always strive for something higher,’ Sasuke could hear his dad’s gruff voice in his ear. ‘Otherwise, you’ll be left with nothing but regret.’

Sasuke folded his arm over his eyes. Despite disagreements he had with his father, he admitted to himself long ago that he was right. He regretted not confessing his true feelings to Hinata before leaving - even if she didn’t return his feelings. He shifted his arm to peek at her sleeping form. Her soft breaths were barely audible over the noise of Naruto’s loud snoring on the other side of the room.

‘Even if she doesn’t return my feelings, I’ll be okay,’ he mused. He was determined after graduating high school to come back to Japan and support Hinata in any way possible. He worked odd jobs, saving what he could to buy a plane ticket back to Japan. He worked nights as a janitor, as a security guard; he worked days at an inn - for experience purposes, as a customer service representative, as anything he could find that would take a foreigner willing to work.

Though now that he was in Japan in her family owned onsen-ji, lying next to her…what now? He didn’t have a solid plan formulated after touching down in his home country. A slight frown appeared on his face. He knew that was a lie. He had a back-up plan, but he hoped it didn’t have to come to it.

Sasuke let out a soft sigh. He fished out his cellphone from underneath his pillow. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the brightness. He quickly sent a text and immediately placed his phone back under his pillow, willing the thought to check for a response away.

A loud rustling noise broke Sasuke’s thought. Turning over, he saw Hinata snuggle deeper into her blanket. A soft smile graced his face. If he could have this view to himself every morning, the choice he made would be worth it.

A soft melody played from under Hinata’s pillow. Alarmed, Sasuke closed his eyes and laid still on his futon, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Next to him, he heard Hinata wake from her sleep and quickly turn off her alarm. Turning his head towards her, he slowly blinked, though the sight before him was making his heart beat even faster.

Hinata was laid on her side, propped up on her forearm, rubbing away the remnants of sleep in her eyes. Her hair was disheveled, and her yukata was opened slightly. The sun was just starting to rise, casting a soft yellow glow on the room.

“Ah, good morning, Sasuke-kun,” Hinata smiled. “Sorry to wake you.”

Sasuke returned a small smile. “Good morning, Hinata.”