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"You're late," Hinata greeted her husband, looking over her shoulder at the tall man who'd entered the house just now.
"I had a rough day," the velvety timbre of his voice rang out across the room, giving her chills. His voice never failed to have this effect on her ever since the day they met in Tea Country months ago…
"Did you already have dinner?" The Uchiha asked as he took off his well worn cape hanging it on the hook by the entrance door, and Hinata sighed appreciatively, her mind slipping into the past.
Flash Back - A Year Ago
Hinata had been wrapping up a mission in tea country, and stopped by a roadside tea vendor to sample their offerings. She was drinking a jasmine oolong with a honey cake snack when the Uchiha came into the shop. She stiffened as all the hair in her body stood up like a cartoon cat.
Sasuke! What was Sasuke doing here? And then belatedly she wondered, had she ever talked to Sasuke before?
No. She hadn't.
She watched quietly as the man had a hushed conversation with the stall vendor and pocketed a large bag of some kind of loose tea before turning a full 180 degrees to leave. He paused staring straight ahead thinking. He'd barely glanced at her. Surely he hadn't seen her?
Finally his shoulders drooped a bit as the Uchiha turned towards her in what seemed to be defeat, and walked forward bringing an incredibly dense chakra along with him. She resisted the urge to sink into the chair as he stopped in front of her.
"Hyuga" he said in the way of a greeting. Hinata was in a bit of shock but it was his voice that first made an impression on her. He was dressed like a vagabond traveler with a tattered cloak, open shirt and baggy pants. While he was clean overall he didn't give the impression of being the heir of a once prestigious clan. That is he didn't… until he spoke.
Sasuke's voice was like pressed velvet. It was cool, polished and smooth carrying an air of confidence and intensity. It was deep and it moved through her like a warm spirit. Like the feeling she'd had when she imbibed in too much sake. No one hearing him speak would mistake that he wasn't from a prestigious clan.
Hinata shook her head. Since when had she turned into a poet? Sure his fangirls tended to write sonnets about his voice. But she'd never noticed it before nor had it had this effect on her. Was it because he'd never spoken to her directly? She was being silly. Hinata blinked and licked her lips nervously trying to gather her bearings.
"Uchiha-san" she bowed embarrassed again at her line of thinking.
"You are here for a mission?" He asked direct as always. There was no hesitation, or uncertainty in how he spoke.
"A-ano yes" she stood up hating the feeling that he was towering over her. But standing up only brought her up to his shoulder height, so that didn't help much.
"Hn" He nodded and then an awkward silence descended over them.
"W-would you like some tea?" she offered. The shopkeeper had brought out two tea cups with the tea pot and it was only polite to offer.
"What tea is it?"
"It's called dragon ball, a white tea"
He nodded and waited until she was seated before taking a seat across from her. Hinata happily busied herself with putting out a tea cup for him and artfully pouring the tea and the Uchiha didn't disappoint. He picked up the tea cup with his right hand, transferred it to the left palm and then turned the cup clockwise by around 90 degrees with his right hand before drinking a sip of tea and placing the cup on the mat.
Hinata blinked.
Tea ceremony etiquette is not something she would have expected from the Uchiha. She almost said it out loud but bit her tongue and offered him a honeyed snack instead, which he declined with a wrinkle of his nose.
The Uchiha sat there for 15 minutes calmly sipping the tea while staring out at the mountains surrounding them. It was a beautiful scenery Hinata had to admit.
The tea fields around them was stunning. This was one of Hinata's favorite countries to travel to. While the Uchiha enjoyed the scenery, Hinata sat there staring at the avenger. She'd never had such access to him before. Yes it was shameless to stare but he didn't seem to mind.
Sasuke had been traveling since the end of the last war. She had heard from her fellow shinobi that he came home once in a while to talk to the Hokage and to visit Sakura and Naruto, but Hinata had not run into him at Konoha yet.
As she continued to gaze at him, she couldn't help but feel a sense of intimidation in his presence. He possessed an air of perfection, akin to a flawlessly sculpted statue made of ice. Sitting beside him, a wave of self-consciousness washed over her, amplifying every perceived flaw she carried. Her body felt disproportionate, her face overly round, her lips a touch too full, and the rosy blush adorning her cheeks felt embarrassingly vivid.
"Do you know who I am?" she finally spoke, her voice breaking the stifling silence that had settled between them, hoping to alleviate the growing unease.
"You're Hyuga Hinata," he stated with a matter-of-fact tone.
"U-um, yes, you're right. I don't believe we've ever spoken before—" she began, his recognition of her prompting her to fumble over her words.
"You once gave me a pencil in class," he interrupted, causing Hinata to blink in surprise.
"I have a photographic memory," he shrugged as an explanation, and she flushed with a tinge of embarrassment for thinking that the memory might have been significant to him.
"Ah..." she replied awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.
"I didn't return the pencil, by the way," he raised an eyebrow, almost as if he was challenging her.
"Well... I'm sure I didn't mind that... Would you like more tea?" She quickly changed the subject, trying to ease the awkwardness. The avenger nodded in agreement.
Hinata poured another cup of tea, her mind racing with numerous questions she wanted to ask him.
"Um... will you be coming back to Konoha anytime soon?" she inquired.
"I don't have any plans as of yet..." he responded, his tone a bit distant.
"Ah," she nodded, understanding his elusive nature. "What are you doing then?"
"That's classified," he replied, his response not rude, but also not apologetic for being unhelpful.
"Well I-I'll be sure to tell Naruto and Sakura that you are safe and sound," Hinata murmured, twisting her lips awkwardly. She didn't know why she'd asked him such a personal questions. He was not even an acquaintance of hers, of course he wouldn't tell her anything.
"Hn" he voiced noncommittally again.
"Well Uchiha-san I should get going," Hinata stood up awkwardly. This conversation was becoming unbearable now. "It was really g-" her words were cut off as one of her legs got caught in the chair and she stumbled uncoordinated sideways. She was too far gone to correct her balance so she tensed herself for impact, which didn't come because the Uchiha had wrapped his hand around her wrist twisting her away from the looming floor and onto his lap.
Both of them tensed like wooden blocks at the situation they found themselves in.
What was Sasuke doing? He didn't save damsels in distress! He usually let them fall flat onto the ground. Sure… he'd been trying to do better on this atonement journey of his. But this was beyond even his threshold for chivalry.
"Ano" she whispered too scared to move as she was tucked securely into the Uchihas lap. Her thighs over his, her butt securely on his lap and her side body resting on his torso. The Uchiha had his good arm wrapped around her and Hinata was not used to being this close to a boy. She felt her inner circuits misfiring as mortification sank in.
The Uchiha grimly laid his palm flat on her back without words and pushed her out of his lap clearing his throat.
She took a few steps out after being suddenly pushed to regain her balance but didn't turn back to look at him. "T-thank you Uchiha-san, I…. I will get going now" she whispered almost ashamed and left the man without looking back.
Had Sakura even been that close to Sasuke recently she wondered as another blush washed over her. The lasting impression of his toned body against her was hard to forget as was his musky sandalwood scent. It seemed to cling to her as she left for the inn she was staying at making it very hard to put that encounter out of her mind.
.
.
The next morning Hinata was packed and ready to leave and she was surprised to run into the Uchiha outside the Inn.
"Uchiha-san..." she greeted him uncertainly.
"Hinata" he nodded.
"Is there... something I can do for you?" she followed up after a few moments of silence.
"I wanted to ask which route you'd be taking home? Theres some rebel groups who've been active in the densely forested areas."
"Oh..." she hadn't heard that. "I was planning on taking the main route back home."
"Be careful until you get past the peninsula into the mainland Konohagakure Territory."
"Will do Uchiha-san. Is there anything you want me to pass onto anyone back home?"
Sasuke shook his head no, and she took that as a sign that their interlude was over, and she turned to leave but was surprised when he fell into step beside her.
"I'll walk with you until the pier" he gestured towards the road they could walk down and Hinata shyly nodded in agreement.
"How did you know where I was staying?" she asked after 5 steps or so.
"Its pretty easy for me to find chakra signatures too" he said nonchalantly but she knew he was referring to the rinnegan. She couldn't see the purple eye since his hair covered it so well.
They walked together in amicable silence for 20 minutes or so and Hinata waved the Uchiha goobye never expecting to speak to him again.
End of Flash Back
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What are you thinking about? Sasuke asked curiously looking at his wife's gentle smile.
"Oh… I was thinking about that time in Tree Country" she chuckled fondly.
"When we ran into each other?"
"Mhm" she mumbled directing him towards the bathroom to have a quick wash.
Sasuke used his arms to brace himself on the door frame looking at her more intently. "What made you think of that?" He asked her curiously.
"Your voice," she said softly, dropping a kiss on his cheek. "Every time I hear your voice after being alone for a bit, I remember how I felt in Tea Country when you first spoke to me."
"And how's that?" he asked her curiously observing her growing flush.
When she didn't answer he smiled pulling her into the washroom along with him untying her obi. "If you don't tell me I'm going to torture you until you do" he teased her lightly nipping her collarbone.
"Alright alright, stop Sasuke!" she tried to push him away. "I need to warm dinner."
"Dinner can wait" he murmured, reaching below to hook his arms under her behind lifting her snugly against him kissing her deeply.
Hours later after dinner and two rounds of lovemaking the Uchiha tucked his wife against him in satisfaction, thinking back to those early days as well.
.
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Flash Back
Sasuke had been traveling mercilessly from the Land of Tea crossing the ocean to Sunagakure to visit the Kazekage when he realized what was bugging him.
A pair of lavender eyes were haunting him.
He would close his eyes and her face would flash across his eyes. Her considerate expression would rise in his mind along with how perfect her complexion had been. He would think about her deep blush as well as those perfect lips. And sometimes in sleep, dreams would come to him filled with indecent thoughts. He would wake up with images of supple flesh and curves flashing across his mind and filled with a need he'd never experienced before.
Damn…. Sasuke sighed, wiping his brow frustrated with the heat as well as his lack of focus. He summoned Garuda to fly through the swath of the desert more speedily. Why did she have this effect on him?
Her lilac scent felt imprinted on him. He kept thinking he could smell her from time to time. Was it clinging to his clothes? He'd washed them though... multiple times...
Why couldn't he forget their interlude?
After his business with Sunagakure was wrapped up Sasuke found himself unexpectedly heading to Konohagakure. He didn't have a plan in mind, but he knew what his subconsious seemed to be driving him towards. Once he reached Konoha he went straight to the Hokage to ask about Hyuga Hinata. It was the type of single minded obsession he knew he was capable of… but never before had experienced when it came to women.
With Kakashi's blessing it hadn't been hard for Sasuke to convince Hyuga Hiashi to betrothed him to Hinata. Hours later after negotiating through many contracts he stood exactly where he wanted to be. Alone with Hinata in her family parlour.
"Marriage?" she'd asked him in shock. "Uchiha-san… what's going on?"
Hinata stood gracefully, draped in a pristine white kimono that accentuated her delicate features and slender frame. The garment was decorated with intricate patterns of delicate blossoms and swirling motifs. The neckline dipped modestly revealing a hint of her porcelain skin while the long, flowing sleeves gracefully framed her arms, allowing her movements to create a mesmerizing dance of fabric.
Sasuke stared at her hungrily. He didn't deserve her; he knew that. But he sure as hell wasn't about to lose her, not when he finally found the person who interested him enough to think about marriage.
'I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since I saw you in Tea Country' didn't quite leave his lips even though it was true. Sasuke was too proud for that. Instead he said and mentally cringed, "I've been planning to reproduce and carry on the Uchiha line. When I saw you in Tea country, I couldn't help but think you might be a perfect candidate."
Hinata blinked in obvious surprise. "A...A breeding machine you mean?" her voice wobbled in disbelief.
What? Sasuke panicked but none of that showed in his face.
Hinata was quite sensitive to remarks from suitors about her child bearing hips so she was quick to jump to that conclusion when Sasuke talked about continuing on his clan. "I'm sorry I.. that was unfair of me." Hinata was the first to back down. "This is quite the unexpected honor Uchiha-san" she slipped into the role of an heiress reacting as she should to such a proposal.
"Is that a yes?" he asked without cutting any corners.
"If my father agrees to this proposal then I have no objections" is what she had ended up responding. Sasuke could tell she had reservations, but satisfaction crawed in his heart that she was his.
End of FB.
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"What are you thinking about now?" Hinata asked sleepily, snuggling against the Uchiha. They were both naked and the night air was humid.
"Do you think it will be a boy or girl?" Sasuke asked, stroking the gentle bump on her stomach.
"Hmmm… I guess we will see in 5 months" she sighed, "But I have a feeling it will be a boy."
"You want it to be a boy," Sasuke said, staring at his large hand on her milky stomach.
"It's only fair since you want it to be a girl," Hinata laughed into her husband's neck. "I'm trying to keep it equitable."
"Boys are trouble… just look at me and Itachi," Sasuke murmured as he kept on stroking Hinata's growing belly.
"You mean two of the greatest heroes of Konoha?" she asked defensively and Sasuke laughed. She would hear no negative comments about her husband or brother in law.
"Your wish is well on its way to coming true" She smiled, kissing his cheek before sitting up to get the water on their bedside table.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, propping himself up, assisting her to take a few sips and pour more water into the cup.
"Soon we will have made good on our promise to continue on the Uchiha clan" she nodded down at her belly.
"Oh…" Sasuke blinked, leaning back thoughtfully against the bed rest.
"What?" Hinata asked curiously, picking up a nightgown from the end of the bed and slipping it on. Hinata was always shy and covering up, and he found it ridiculous that he was getting turned on again now that she had a nightgown on that draped over her assets well. It was a constant compulsion to take her clothes off. He sighed in determination not to overtire his pregnant wife.
"Hinata" Sasuke decided to finally tell her the truth. "I didn't marry you to have kids."
"What?" Hinata turned her head with a confused smile.
"I didn't know how to propose to you." He mumbled. "After seeing you in tea country... I couldn't forget about you. If you remember, you were the one in a rush to get away from me that day. I was having a perfectly good time having tea with you, and I'd never felt that way before. After realizing what it is that I wanted I came to Konoha with the goal of marrying you. I didn't know what to call how I felt, but I knew I couldn't let you slip away from me for any reason and the only rational excuse I could give you was that I wanted to start a family."
She blinked at him.
"But honestly" Sasuke continued, "I couldn't give two shits if we can or can't have kids. I mean I'm happy of course" he reassured her by patting her tummy. "But all I want is you… the rest is just a bonus."
Hinata's mouth flopped open like an ungraceful fish.
"I love you Nata" Sasuke kissed her and ruffled her hair tucking her into his chest as he turned to sleep, but soon he could hear the muffled sniffles Hinata was making.
"What's wrong?" he asked, wiping her cheeks sleepily.
"I love you too, Sasuke, so much" she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion, "I've just never felt this happy before." Tears glistened in Hinata's eyes and with a sniffle she leaned in to kiss her husband showing all the love she had built up towards the Uchiha since that fateful day he'd proposed to her.