日向導 - A Hyūga's Guide

Chapter Twenty Four: Three Words

Sasuke woke up three days after he had been lulled into sleep. No one seemed to mind though, and that confused him a little bit when he sat up that morning to hear nothing. There wasn't any maid in his room, or a guard standing outside his door. Groaning whilst attempting to stand up, the sound of his door opening and closing filled the silence before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Being pushed back down, he had no complaints once he realized who was responsible.

"You're still recovering." She said after she placed the tray of food on the bedside table.

"How long has it been?" He rested his hands against his stomach, listening to her move around his room with ease as if it was her own.

"Three days." Hinata finished preparing his clothes. Sitting beside him, she hesitated for a moment before placing her hands on either side of his head.

Sasuke's throat got dry, and his mind was a mess as her fingers massaged his scalp. Warmth enveloped him soon after. "What are you doing?" It came out in a whisper.

"Checking to see if you're okay." She answered.

"Okay." He closed his eyes and focused on what it was she was doing.

It felt as though hours had passed between the two of them before she finally let him go. With her miniature check up over, Sasuke finally sat up when she instructed him to do so. Hinata arranged herself in a way to sit in front of him fully, she mixed the bowl of broth she held in her hand as she tried to think of a way to feed him without it being weird.

Sasuke tilted his head, the sounds of a spoon hitting the sides of a bowl made him realize why she was so silent. He covered her hands with his own, feeling the warm ceramic bowl held by her.

"Would it be alright?" She asked.

He didn't say anything for some time, but he nodded. Sasuke opened his mouth.

Hinata silently thanked him for complying without making it harder for her. Although she looked calm and collected on the outside, she was really a mess. For three days, she had been taking care of him, instructing the other maids to leave him so she could do her job.

Sakura's words about her liking the Uchiha heir kept echoing in her head, she tried desperately to forget them but the longer she spent beside him, the realer her feelings got. Hinata's expression was solemn, her eyebrows were knitted together and her lips were pressed into a line as she kept feeding him.

The bowl was soon empty, and she placed it on the bedside table. "A maid will help you get ready. Your father said that it's okay for you to stay in your room for as long as you need."

"Will you be coming back?" His eyes searched his deep dark voids, in hopes of imagining how she looked at the moment. Yet he wasn't able to, and that made him upset. Had he forgotten what Hinata looked like?

"Do you want me to?" She whispered, her hand lifted in front of his face. Her fingers hovered over his eyes.

"Yes."

"I will be back when you're ready."

He nodded. "Thank you."

Hinata smiled softly and brushed his hair out of his face, being very careful as she did so. She sat there and stared at him for just a moment before standing up without muttering a word. She didn't have to tell him anything, she just stood up and left.

A maid was waiting outside on her orders; it wasn't Fū since she was currently accompanying Sakura to a random schedule.

"Be sure that he's comfortable in his room before you leave him alone. I will know when he's back, so there is no need for you to call for me. Is that understood?"