Chapter Text
1
'Hinata is a good girl isn't she?'
Sasuke looks up from his food with barely a reaction. He doesn't even know who that is. His mother can tell that much from his blank expression.
'She's from the Hyuuga clan. Strong, powerful, lovely too, I hear. A bit like an angel,’ she explains, smiling knowingly all the while. ‘She'll fit perfectly into our family.'
Sasuke looks down at his food and nods.
If his mother says so it must be true. Uchiha mothers had a keen eye for things like these.
It's tradition for Uchiha mothers to pick their son's wives.
No one could be a better judge of character than her.
‘Brother will be happy.' He says.
His mother shakes her head and reaches out to touch his hand.
'Not your brother, Sasuke, he already has his bride waiting for him. You.' She says, lips stretching softly. 'Promise me you'll marry her some day.'
Sasuke stares at the table, his mother's dainty soft hands over his calloused, rougher ones.
One day it will be his wife to hold him like this.
But for now he can relish in this, his mother and her affection. She cares for him deeply. Everything she says or does is for his sake and his sake only.
Turning his hand under hers, he clasps her and gives a light squeeze.
'I will mother.'
.
Sasuke is almost never home.
There is a war upfront between the Senju and his people, one he believes will carry on for a long time.
That is where he spends most of his time, alongside his father and his brother.
Occasionally they send him back, to stay by his mother.
'You're still so young,' his brother reasons because his distaste is so clear on his face. 'Besides, you know how fond mother is of you more than anyone.'
It's true.
If Itachi is their father's son, the Uchiha heir, bred and born to fulfil duty and preserve clan honour, then Sasuke is his mother's, bred and born to coddle and spoil.
That is what seconds son are generally for.
For mothers to covet and fathers to loathe.
He is mildly surprised to find that is not the case with the Hyuuga.
The newly anointed Hyuuga matriarch has come over for tea and she has brought with her her step daughters.
The mothers converse amiably.
'This must be your second born, he is quite handsome indeed.'
'Thank you, Hyuuga-San. You have very beautiful daughters yourselves too.'
Sasuke looks to the two slight figures sitting beside the lady mumbling her thanks into her sleeves, situated slightly behind.
Hinata Hyuuga and Hanabi Hyuuga.
The first born and the second.
It's almost hard to tell at first.
The timidness that the older one carries herself with is not what anyone would expect from a clan heir.
They are generally raised to be strong, uplifted, sure of themselves, like his brother Itachi.
This one fiddles with her sleeves, keeps her gaze lowered, hides behind her fan and barely speaks a word past polite greeting.
He wonders what went wrong with her.
'Ah,' His mother sets her teacup down then, 'A collection of fine China from the far west was recently sent to me. Would you like to see?'
Instantly, the lady's eyes shine with interest and she sets her teacup down with a clink.
Young and impressionable the new Hyuuga matriarch is.
'O-of course, Mikoto-San!'
His mother smiles a triumphant smile and stands, gathering her robes with her.
'Very well then, the children can play while we women pour over our cutlery.' She turns to him, her smile softer around the edges. 'Do be a nice host and show the girls around will you Sasuke?'
Sasuke stares for a while and then nods for his mother.
Wordlessly, he stands, and he looks at the two girls still sat before him.
The younger one meets his gaze with a hint of anticipation. The older one continues to stare at the floor.
He tears his gaze away and starts to move.
'Come.'
The younger sister of the two scrambles to her feet, dragging her sister along with a tiny, excited 'come on, nee-san!' as they follow after him.
As the three of them tread down the dim hallway, he catches a bit of the conversation inside the tea room.
'Apologies,' his mother chuckles gently, a little sheepish. 'He is quite the serious boy isn't he?’
'It's fine,' the Hyuuga matriarch responds lightly. 'You know what they say, serious men make for the most passionate of husbands, I would know. Now I'd really like to see what China from the west looks like.'
Mikoto chuckles. There is a hint of agreement there.
'Of course. This way.'
.
Hanabi Hyuuga is the curious, jovial one.
After pointing here and there, asking at every turn of a portrait or regalia or room about who that is, what that is and where that door leads to, she has disappeared completely to do her own exploration.
Hinata Hyuuga is as timid and drawn to herself as ever, lingering several steps at his back as he traverses the halls at a steady measured pace.
They are barely walking together.
It's hard not to let the distance bother him.
Pausing, he turns to regard her.
She stops too.
'Why do you stay behind?' He asks.
There's a little start she gives, at being addresses so directly for the first time.
But Sasuke isn't the type to beat around the bush and the sooner she knows that the better.
'I-I-it's rude to...' she trails off. 'Father says women should walk three steps behind the men of the house.'
He stares at her.
The Hyuuga for all their power and lineage are a lot more backwards than he thought.
'I am neither your father, your brother nor your husband. This is not the Hyuuga estate. Be at ease.'
'But-'
He silenced her with a look.
'I insist.'
She gulped, fumbled behind her fan and finally nodded.
'Yes, Uchiha-Sama.'
Wordlessly, she came to his side and fell into step with him.
They walked together in silence for a while.
Rustling from her disturbed the peace, and he watched her fumble and hesitate in her steps from the corner of his eye.
'We shouldn't go too far...' she muttered, worry thick in her uncertain voice. 'Hanabi, she might-'
'She will be fine.' He told her, and when it didn't seem to placate her he added. 'We have servants at every corner of the house even if you don't see them. Your sister will not go missing, if that is what you worry about.'
'Oh, that's a relief.' She mumbled, before looking around, maybe noticing that the quite here was different, almost loud. 'What about here? Are there servants in the walls too?'
Sasuke stopped in front of a shoji slide.
'Not here.'
He felt her gaze turn to him.
'Why?'
He reached out and gave an effortless push to open it and reveal what was on the other side.
'This is where I sleep.'
With no further explanation, he stepped into his private room.
Like he expected, she didn't follow, instead lingering outside the threshold and frozen in place.
He knew she would not move without some coaxing.
'Come.' He said, waiting for her.
She looked at him hesitantly then at the room. Her skirts rustled as her feet shuffled in a backward step.
'I don't think I should-'
'I won't do anything.' He assured her, level and cool. 'There is something I want to show you.'
Her hold on her fan was tight, white knuckled, but he could see the resignation in her already.
'Mother will not be happy, if she hears.'
'She doesn't have to know.' Boldly, he outstretched his hand in between them, showing his palm to her. 'Come, you have my word.'
Lavender eyes stared at his palm, making him wonder if perhaps he had gotten ahead of himself.
But then there's a rustle of her sleeve as she moves her arm and then her hand is in his and she's stepping forward, standing right in front of him.
There is barely any space between them.
His breath fans her bejewelled crown. Hers tickles his chest through his clothes.
She lifts her gaze from the column of his throat to meet his gaze.
'What is it that you wanted to show Uchiha-Sama?’
He stares at her for a while, distracted by the roundness of her milky eyes, the intensity of the perpetual flush on her face, the light press of her front to his.
By the patient, expectant look she wears on her face, it is clear to him that the Hyuuga heiress is nonetheless wiser to the nature of his attention on her.
He'd like to keep it that way.
Pulling himself together, he gathers his wits and puts a front of composure.
He is the first to make a move to put some distance between them, turning to face the room.
But it is insignificant, for he has kept her hand in his and clasped at her gently to guide her into his room.
'This way.'
The Hyuuga heiress' fingers twitch a little but she remains docile and demure, the slim digits closing around his lightly.
'Hai, Uchiha Sama.'
The muffle in her voice tells him she must be covering her face with her fan again.
Is it truly possible for her to get any redder than she is? Redder than him as he was at the moment?
.
Uchiha Mikoto has promised not to interfere in this.
'I want you to show her your true self, and for her to warm up to you for who you really are.' She says.
But as his mother, as the Uchiha Matriarch, it is impossible for her to stay away completely.
Uchiha Mikoto is a bit of a romantic you see, well-versed in the most amorous of literature.
She is not without her own well of advise that she is often willing to share from, especially to her coveted son.
'It is important that when a man moves to woo a woman, he be swift and smooth, not unlike a river.' She tells him. 'Before you ask her to marry you, you must court her first, Sasuke.'
This had been when she had called him for tea the other afternoon, right after she told him that she would like to invite the Hyuuga women over so he can finally start initiating.
'There are things that girls like, and you must find out what these are.' She said to him, turning to look out at the garden with serenity on her face. 'For instance, most girls like flowers. Your mother here is sure Hinata is no different. But, what kind? What colour? Of what season?'
Facing him again, she smiled softly and carried on to tell softly him:
'As her husband, you must be sensitive to these kind of things. Marriage is a compromise between two people who depend on each other, support each other, tend to each other. She cares for you, you care for her. Sometimes it's knowing the little things like these that will move her heart and make her adore you more, Sasuke. That’s how real affection grows true and strong and endless. It is a bottomless pit after all.’
The entire evening, Sasuke had sat there, waiting to hear what his informants would report to him of their findings.
His dark eyes flicked from one exuberant bloom to the other, his mind wondering, hands clasped neatly at his back.
Spider Lillies? White Chrysanthemum? Lilac Hyacinths?
Hinata Hyuuga, just what kind of flower are you?
In the present, he has led her across the threshold of his rooms to the slide on the other side that lead to the engawa.
'It is here,' he said, holding her hand still, reaching to open the door with the other.
Instantly, a strong yet gentle aroma wafted into the room and a light burst of tiny pale lilac petals came along with it.
A gasp at his side made him to turn to regard the wide eyed expression of the Hyuuga Heiress.
'This is...'
'Yes.'
As if in a trance, she stepped forward, pass the engawa and down to the gardens where the blooms flourished abundant, her hand slipping out of his.
Sasuke watched her marvel and crouch at the centre of it all, reaching out to touch softly and graze with reverent lightness.
'I've never seen so many in one place before, and around this time of the year too...'
Wordlessly, he too descended the patio and walked into the garden, calm and steady until he was at her side, standing over her, gazing out at the petals.
At his closeness, she turned to look up at him and he could feel her eyes bore holes into his profile as she stared at him.
'H-how did you know?' She asked him. 'That I like these blooms?'
The suspicion in her voice couldn't have been any more poorly hidden. Or maybe she wanted him to hear it.
She stood then, abandoning the flowers to gather her skirt in a clutch and peer up at him squarely.
'What is this for?' She demanded to know. 'Is there... something you want from me?'
Wordlessly, he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. Her gaze immediately reverted to her feet.
'Are you trying to win my hand?' At his poised silence, she continued, fists tightening on her clothes. Her voice took a shaky turn, but it was from anything related to rage. 'I'm sorry to disappoint, but I am not as valuable as people say.'
The flowers continues to swirl, dancing in the wind, catching in her hair as she hung her head solemnly.
'Hanabi would be a better choice if you're looking for a match with benefits.' She told him quietly, the defeated slump in her shoulders too hard to miss. 'I... I'm no good. I'm sorry if anyone made you think that way.'
A short lapse of silence passed by.
Sasuke broke it.
He crouched, reached out to graze a bloom. He felt her eyes flick to watch him all the while.
'The flowers,' He said. 'Do you like them?"
'Yes,' she said, looking away from him and then garden again. 'They're... beautiful.'
He pulled back and looked up at her.
'They remind me of you.'
She paused and turned to look at him again.
'You don't mean that,' she turned away from him with a sad look, shaking her head lightly. 'That's not true.'
Sasuke clasped her chin, gently coaxed her into meeting his eyes.
'I do.' He said, looking into her widened, rapidly blinking eyes, the pink in her cheeks deepening gradually as he spoke to her. 'Lavender. It's the colour of your eyes. Pale, gentle, but it's presence is undeniable. Easy to look over in small numbers, but impossible to miss for those who know it's worth. And beautiful too, like you said.'
It's when their noses touch at the tip that she seems to realize just close they had moved to each other.
She started back, almost falling over, but he caught her waist and tugged her forward.
The motion inadvertently brought them closer, his front to hers, his breath mingling with hers.
Her hands flew to his chest to hold him back and keep some distance between them, but it was pointless.
He could feel just how hard her heart was beating. He was sure she could see how his pupils have dilated this close, his gaze unapologetically intense, piercing through her.
Her flush deepened even further and she tried to push at him, nothing but a futile attempt for he was a wall of steel in muscle.
'Uchiha-Sama, we shouldn't- we can't- not before-'
'I know.' He told, the finality in his statement halting her. He meet her puzzled, uncertain gaze levelly. 'I promised you I wouldn't do anything. Even though I might want to.'
Her breathing stuttered, her fists clenching on the seams of his yukata.
With a quickness that rivalled his own formidable speed, she redirected her gaze and looked off to the side.
'I... Uchiha-Sama.' She stammered. 'This is not proper.'
'I know.' He said once more, releasing her from his embrace, but remaining where he stood. 'We need to be married first for it to be.'
'Yes.' She expressed quietly, releasing his yukata and standing back.
Sasuke watched her for a while before crouching to grab her fan that had fallen from the grass in between their feet.
Once he stood again, he handed it to her.
'Would you like that? Is that something you want? Marriage. Marriage with me.'
Reaching out, she took it, hand hidden beneath her sleeve, her fingers brushing his.
'I ...' she stuttered at the graze. 'I don't know yet. I'm not sure.'
Sasuke who had been staring at the spot of contact long after it happened drew his hand back.
He ignored the light tingling there. Distantly he wondered if that was what she felt too.
'You don't need to give me an answer now.' He told her. 'I am in no rush.'
Hinata nodded demurely, clutching her fan to her chest.
Her heart was still beating loud and fast. He could feel it from where he was.
Turning, he gave her his back and started for the engawa.
'Let us head inside. It's getting cold.'
'Hai.'
She followed him back into his room, and they emerged into the halls once more.
Hinata had suggested they look for Hanabi once more.
They looked with their eyes for quite some time before realizing that she had returned to their mothers and was now fast asleep on the Hyuuga matriarch’s lap.
A servant came for her, and they all head out to where their carriage awaited them.
The sun had started to set, casting the world in an orange glow.
Sasuke watched Hinata smooth down her sister's hair as she was gently arranged into the vehicle.
Somehow, she still looked pale as the moon, even in this light.
'It's been a long day hasn't it.' The Hyuuga mother announced, addressing them all one final time. 'I trust you had fun too, Hinata?'
The Hyuuga heiress looked taken aback, eyes flickering to her left where he stood for a moment, but she nodded and gave a demure tilt of her head.
'Yes, Kaa-san.' She said.
Sasuke wondered if he was the only one who noticed how her cheeks had gone red again.
'Good.' Lady Hyuuga smiled. 'Perhaps we should visit more often.'
His mother couldn't have been more pleased at the prospect.
'Of course, we'd love that, Akiko-san. Hinata and Hanabi can come here whenever they like. It gets lonely here, with so many of us away. I'm sure Sasuke and I could do with the company.'