A Marriage of Convenience

Chapter 5

Sorry for being so late in updating this chapter but my Wattpad keeps crashing and yeah. Anyways many of you have complained about the chapters being too short. But it may be noted that: I am keeping the length of the chapter deliberately short because I usually write very lengthy stories and I wanted to give a short, drabble sort of story a chance. on the insistence of many people...I've added a bit more to this chapter too (yes it was even shorter) so...here goes.
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Oh my friend, My beloved is finally home
My beloved is finally home
My courtyard will be visited by good fortune once more
Beholding the face of my beloved
I have lost my mind and soul
Beloved; place the Palanquin underneath the Mango tree
Saavan (The rainy season) is in full bloom.
-Underneath the Mango Tree (Ambwa Talay)
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The glower Sasuke provided when he was informed they'd be sharing the room was impressive. The poor servant scurried away, scared for his life.

Hinata sighed. This would indeed be a very long mission judging by Uch-Sasuke's reaction. She looked at him tentatively. He didn't meet her gaze.

"I can sleep on the floor." He told her.

They'd just arrived, tired and exhausted. They'd been greeted by the Daimyo along with his other guests, there for his whatever-year-birthday, which was tomorrow. Then, the servant had showed them their room which they'd be sharing and Sasuke's face had changed from passive to murderous in seconds.

"I'll take a shower first." She ignored his plan of their sleeping arrangement and made her way towards the bathroom with her clothes in tow.

The bath was indeed refreshing, she realized as she dressed in a silk kimono and came out. Sasuke was leaning against the bed rest when she entered.

"All yours." she gestured to the bathroom.

He didn't say anything as he walked off, passing her. Her mind flashed to the last real conversation they'd had.

Misery loves a companion.

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"So, Mrs. Uchiha-" Hinata couldn't stop her cringe at that. "What? The food too spicy?"

"No. Nothing. You were saying?" Hinata said, forcing a smile as she faced the noble lady next to her.

"Your husband is very handsome, I must say." The noble lady, Haruka, said with a smirk. Hinata coughed.

"Yes. Anyhow, who are you accompanying here?" Hinata asked.

"My bethrothed. He's the one sitting three seats down." Haruka introduced.

She gestured to a man looking to be in his early thirties with chestnut brown hair and a kind face. "Oh. He looks very nice." Hinata commented.

"Yes. He is."

"When is the wedding?" Hinata asked, to keep the conversation flowing.

"Next Spring." Haruka blushed happily. "I was so lucky my family allowed me to accompany him here, of course on the condition that there would be chaperones present-"

Haruka launched into a lengthy account of her bethrothed Jen and his family. Hinata nodded along and "Hmmmed" at all the appropriate moments.

Her focus was on her husband (she cringed internally), to make sure he didn't kill anyone trying to make mundane talk with him. Luckily for her, he seemed to be listening to the people around him talk.

He seemed to have felt her gaze on him as their eyes locked. He looked at her as one might, a stranger. She felt annoyed as she looked away.

"Oh, stealing glances at your husband?" Haruka teased. If she only knew Hinata thought as she laughed fakely.

"What is it like..." Haruka trailed off suggestively. Hinata almost choked on her water. Oh hell no, they weren't going down that road.

"You know what, I think the Daimyo wants to speak." Hinata deflected instead, thankful as the Daimyo indeed stood to speak.

"Thank you to everyone who made time to come here and attend the ceremony which is to be held tomorrow." The Daimyo spoke. He was still active for his age and his eyes sparked the kind of confidence that comes with age.

On his right side, his son was seated. He looked displeased with so many people present. "We'll continue all formal talk tomorrow. Please, eat."

The Daimyo sat down and Hinata felt something was wrong. And judging by the look on Sasuke's face, he thought the same.

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Sasuke stood on the small balcony adjoining their room, which looked out over the gardens of the Daimyo's residence. He noticed how that nobleman, Jen had the room next to theirs. Iinteresting. The man seemed decent enough but something about him was off.

He noticed a strange crash sound go up in Jen's room. Then, he smirked knowingly. And continued looking over the ground when he felt her come up behind him.

Hinata stood next to him in silence before another small sound came from the room next to theirs. Sasuke knew what she was about to do and grabbed her hand as she was about to make the hand sign to activate her dojutsu.

"Don't look."

"What? What if something's-" Hinata began. Sasuke rolled his eyes. How dumb was she?

"Looks like our neighbor's having a rendezvous with his soon to be wife." Sasuke informed her curtly, a smirk threatening to spill out when she turned as red as a tomato.

"I-That-you" she sputtered and almost choked on her own spit. Sasuke snorted.

Well, at least she was amusing, he thought as he looked over the gardens again and then up at the sky. Hinata calmed down besides him.

"You enjoy watching the stars?" she asked, trying to start conversation. Sasuke grunted noncommittally. He did not want a conversation with her. Really.

"Sleep." He told her instead, hoping she'd take the hint and leave. But no. Apparently the girl was feeling inquisitive.

"Sasuke-kun...do you think about your family?" She said and then a hush fell over her. As if she couldn't believe she'd had the gall to ask that.

Neither could he actually because his eyes seeped crimson as he turned to her. "Do I think about my family?" he smirked and enjoyed the way terror seemed to seep into her expression as he trapped her against the wall and his red eyes looked into hers.

"Want a good bedtime story hearing about the Uchiha massacre, hime?" he mocked, inexplicably angry at her suddenly. "Thinking you can get some more gory details from the survivor aside from the tidbits the gossip fed you?"

"No, I-" Hinata started, scared. "I didn't-"

"Do you really want to know how much I think about my family?" he asked, leaning closer, his Sharingan tomoes spinning and his Mangakeyo activating.

She shook her head, clenching her eyes shut. Her hands weren't shaking so Sasuke had to give credit where it was due as he leaned away from her.

He felt disgusted. He didn't know why. "Sleep." He told her.

Then he was gone.

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Sooooo lemme know what you think cuz? And the ending scene??