Caged (Sasuke x Hinata's twin)

Part 17

The moment that very thought crossed her mind, fresh tears ran down her cheeks before she could even stop them. Was she not good enough?

She turned her head immediately hiding her blantant display of weakness. The very cross that every heir was forced to bear's weight made itself known on her shoulders, weighing down to her soul, suffocating her once again. Was she not good enough?

Sasuke sat up straighter in alarm, the moment he saw a tear run down Hikari's face. He immediately took a hold of her shoulders trying to get her attention. She had a distant look on her face as her tears kept flowing. Her breathing laboured.

"Am I no longer good enough? I completed all of my basic training as a ninja and surpassed all of my training on what it meant to lead a clan.

Should I have done more? I will admit I have been a bit lax since I have been unsealed...is that why?

Should I be more? Perhaps the Uchiha clan's standards are different. I learnt as much as I could while could.

I have been trying best to catch up to the standard I am supposed to be at this age. 

Its not been enough. 

I am not enough...."

She was brought back to the present when she felt Sasuke pick her up to place them on the couch. She noticed that the front of her yukata was wet from her tears, as well as Sasuke's, how long had she been crying?

Sasuke turned to her when he heard that she calmed down, he had been calling her, but it was if she could not hear him all he could do is try to comfort her and hold her close.

"Hikari, " he said bringing her attention to him, 

"This is not the Hyuga compound, you are not expected to be anything but you," he said, cupping her face with his hands as if it were the most precious and fragile thing he has ever held, 

" I do not need you to be the strongest, smartest, or most beautiful," he said, Hikari remembers that he used to say the same thing when they were children, 

"I can not take it anymore, I can not keep up with their expectations, I am so tired, " Hikari said, with tears in her eyes, in all the years of knowing Hikari, this was the first time she sounded her age.  Sasuke blushed as he as he held her hand, rubbing the top of it with his thumb. He was very familiar with the feeling as she was aware, just that morning she helped him apply healing salves to his face, having burnt it while trying to meet his father's expectation with his fireball jitsu, 

"You know, you don't have to be everything they want you to be," He said, 

"Sasuke, you are one to talk," she said bitterly, being used to her challenging him, Sasuke shaked his head, 

"The diference is that I want to be the strongest and the smartest, its not as expected from me because I am only the second son, that does not stop me from wanting to spar and learn about new jitsus and fighting styles. I like doing it in my spare time," Hikari looked at Sasuke in awe, being used having to simplify things for the people her age around after being forced to be older than she needed to be before her time, this was the first time Sasuke showed a level of maturity and self -awareness close to what was expected of her, 

"Sasuke, we agreed to be partners, I also need to keep up with you," she whispered, Sasuke eyes raised never having realized that she was worried about keeping up with him, when he felt the same about keeping up with her,

"I do not need you to be the strongest, smartest, or most beautiful. I just need you to be my... partner" he said blushing, 

"You would not mind having a weak partner?" she asked, 

"Hikari, I am not sure if you know this, but I do not think that you capable of being weak," he chuckled, she laughed, 

"What do you mean?"

"You are a natural at everything you do, Hikari. Like Ni-san" he said, 

"That's right, nothing has changed," he said, the shadow of a smile playing on his face, knowing where her mind went, 

"I still do not need you to be any of those things, I just need you to be you," he said wrapping his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap, resting her back against his arm, 

"and to be mine," he said, pulling her even closer, 

"and to never leave me again," he whispered, placing a kiss on her temple. 

"If you want me as yours then why do you not want to-"

"Hikari," Sasuke interpted her, she looked at him and noticed him blushing, 

"...there are very few things I want more than I want... you," he said, although he was not stuttering, Hikari could tell he was shy about admitting it out loud, 

"In... In every way possible," he said avoiding her eyes, 

"But we can't," he said closing his eyes, feeling the familiar pulse in his retina as his sharingan activated, just as before, without him meaning to activate it, he openned his eyes to see Hikari staring back at him questioningly, 

"You might not be your clan's heir anymore, but you will become my clan's matriach, and I will respect you as such, I will not bed you out of wedlock," he said, Hikari's eyebrows shot up, 

"I appreciate the sentiment Sasuke, but we sleep in the same bed every night, I think that we already crossed that line," Hikari said, finding a little humour in the fact that he may have overlooked that enormous detail, 

"Hikari, we sleep in the same bed because I can not sleep without knowing your exact whereabouts, no one can take you away from me when you are directly under me. They would physically and literally have to get through me," he said,

 Hikari was once again surprised by the amount of thought that went into everything he does. Sasuke was not one to speak his mind, but whenever he does Hikari could help but admire him even more. She just nodded in reponse, being content with his reasoning, 

"Also," he said, as he poured himself teapot from a teapot on the side table that that were supposed to have after they meditated, 

"Its because I am selfish, I know what it looks like and disregard it because of my own selfish fears. I will let everyone think what they want to, as long as you know the truth and you know the amount of respect I have for you and the position you will carry in my clan," He explained further drinking from his tea. 

"As if I needed more reasons to fall for you? Do you not know that I am already your forever? You have no need to make me swoon like this." Hikari thought to herself, blushing at Sasuke's words. Sasuke prided himself as being seen as the villian in most stories, however when they were alone he acted nothing short of a prince in every form of the word. As valiant and romantic as each one littered in each fairytale she has ever read. She was even struggling to find something to say, only he made her lose her composure this way. She could see he was slowly catching on to the effect his words had on her, in the way he was looking at her over the rim of his cup, as he drank. He could see the amusement dancing in his. She would not let him have the satisfaction. 

"And here I thought it was because you were obsessed with my breast," she said, crossing her arms pushing them up into his veiw. 

Instantaneously, his eyes widened, as his sharingan flickered, his eyes darted downwards, he gasped, while still drinking his tea. 

Hikari laughed as the red faced Uchiha coughed and wheezed.