Hope And Faith

Trick

Hinata got up earlier than the two men. She packed her stuff and was ready to go. She wanted to leave them some space since they didn't know when they would meet again. She waited outside the cabin so they could have a proper goodbye.
"Hinata? Hinata?"
She turned to look when the door of the cabin bursted open. There stood Sasuke with a worried look on his face.
"Don't do that."
And he closed the door again before she could ask anything.

Sasuke woke by the noise his brother made getting up from bed. After a long argument last night Hinata had stubbornly sat at the couch and didn't move an inch, saying they should take the bedroom. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes in a childish attempt to saw them she was asleep. Even at this poor excuse they complied with her rules. She is born to boss people around without trying.
He entered the kitchen after his brother only to see that her spot was empty. She's probably in the bathroom. When he took the first sip of his coffee he noticed that her things weren't there. He stayed silent trying to listen any small noise she would make. He got up and knocked the bathroom door. No answer. He knocked again.
"Are you in there?"
Silence.
He walked in the kitchen again.
"Where is she?"
He must have had a terrible look on his face because Itachi looked at him worried.
"Itachi where is Hinata?"
Not getting an answer he screamed her name. He opened the door with more strength than he wanted.
There she was, sitting on the wooden stairs. She had turned to look probably on the mention of her name. Her head was slightly at one side with a surprised expression on her face not understanding the commotion she had brought.
"Don't do that."
He slammed the door closed.
Itachi had a stupid smile on his face.
"What?"
"Nothing." He kept smiling.
He sat down trying to enjoy his last breakfast with his brother. They chatted over nothing and made promises to reunite soon.
Itachi had packed some food for their journey. They exited the house only to find her sitting at the same position.
"Hinata-san you should have come to eat with us."
"It's fine. I grabbed something and I'm ready to go."
She got up and hugged Itachi.
He knew that the man wasn't used at this kind of affection not more than Sasuke himself but she didn't mind.
"If anything happens you are always welcomed at my house. Don't hesitate to ask for help. You have people that love you and don't want you to get hurt."
She's actually scolding him.
He smirked.
Itachi was uneasy at this. Even at their family he was treated as an adult at a young age. There must have been a long time since someone scolded him.
"I'm grateful Hinata-san for everything. I don't know if I will ever manage to repay the debt. And if I'm not being greedy can I ask one more favour?"
"Of course. Anything." She smiled.
"Go easy on my brother."
Hinata's cheeks painted pink with the sudden request. She looked at Sasuke as a reflex and he turned his head the other way.
"Well it depends on him to be nice." She said in a playful tone.
Sasuke shot her a glare.
She almost forgot how angry she was with him and began to show him her tongue.
She said her goodbyes and moved forward leaving them alone for a moment.
They hugged and when they broke it Itachi spoke quietly only for Sasuke to hear.
"People need to feel it when you love them." He poked his head and smiled.

______

The rest of the journey was nice. They still didn't talk but it was like they had left the tension back to the village. Sasuke was a little more relaxed now that Itachi was safe and she could breath again after all the craziness the last couple of months brought. Now she could take it one step at a time. First she had to deal with the expectation of an engagement and then she would move to the reform of the clan. She knew she couldn't make it perfect but her goal wasn't that. She just wanted it to be a happy place to live. The children that would be born there to be loved and safe. Not a single person to have to go through what she or Sasuke experienced growing up. After all perfection isn't appealing. You think something is perfect because you recognise the flaws in it. Kinda like Sasuke.
She looked him at the corner of her eyes and he catched her gaze. Normally he would asked, he was always curious about her thoughts but not now. He just turned his eyes on the road in front of them. It was better this way. If he asked Hinata would have told him. She always spoke her mind wherever they were together. It felt almost offensive to lie to him. That's why it hurt so deep. She had shown him everything that she was, parts of herself that even Shino or Kiba didn't know and he chose to ignore it. He chose to believe that after everything she would betray his trust. The irony. He was the one that betrayed hers. Still she could understand him, sympathize with him even. Itachi was the most precious person to him. The fear for his safety, the guilt of their past could drove someone insane. She was in constant state of panic when Hanabi was in danger. But she chose to trust him and she thought they shared something that would make him choose to have faith in her. I was wrong. And it's not even his fault.
Because she thought they had a connection didn't mean it was true. She shouldn't blame him for her delusion. It was one sided something. It's fine. She just have to move forward.