The next day in homeroom, Hinata's seat besides Sasuke was empty. He had not driven to her house on purpose, hoping she'd have to swallow her pride and call him. But she never did. She neither texted him nor called. She didn't even show up to school.

"I wonder where Hinata-chan could be?" Naruto thought out loud. He actually looked concerned.

"Yeah, she'd usually call to let us know if she wasn't coming to class." Ino said, looking worried herself. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

'She must have thought she deserved a day off after yesterday.' He thought to himself. Whatever. He's have enough of her for a lifetime.

"We'll call her after class." Sakura said, sitting next to Ino.

Kakashi made his way inside. "Class, today I'm going to assign you your project for the rest of the year. It will comprise half of your lit grade this year. You're going to complete it with your partner in class. You will have to write a book along with your partner, at least with at least 80,000 words. The topic, storyline and characters will be yours. The requirement is that it should have a moral."

"What?!" several voices rang out.

"We're doing this with our partners?!"

"80,000 WORDS?!!"

"This is so not fair!"

"Silence." Kakashi's voice rang out "You many start on it this week. From next Monday, we'll start on our essays. You have time in class this week to start it. Start now."

"There's no way I'm passing with Shikamaru as my partner." Naruto grumbled.

"But he's a genius." Kiba said, who was partners with Shino.

"Yeah but he's always asleep." Naruto complained.

"Tch, that's not my problem." Sasuke said as he turned away to work. He realized Hinata was not there and he would have to wait for her. 'Dammit' he thought.

Whatever. He would visit her after school. Or not.
______

They had practice after school, which went well under Sasuke's leadership. As he made his way towards the parking lot, he remembered he had to return Neji's jacket to Hinata. He could also use that excuse to tell her about their project because he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

He turned up the music as he drove towards her place. The weather today was a little cloudy but with sunny traces. No rain. Thank the Kami.

He pulled in front of her house. The little iron gate was closed. He pushed the remote button to lock his car and stepped outside. He opened the gate and looked inside. No one was there in the garden.

He crossed the porch and knocked on the wooden door. It was unlocked but there was no sound inside. What was that about? He cautiously opened the door while shifting the borrowed jacket in his other arm. The lounge and the hallway were also empty.

Where was that damn girl? He walked inside and looked around, finding every room empty. A part of him wanted to leave now but he knew he should do what he came to do.

He walked upstairs and made his way to her room. He knocked on the door. There was a faint cough. He slowly opened the door.

The first thing he saw was the bed, on which a mass of midnight blue hair was strewn over the pillow. The covers were pulled up to the back of the figure, which turned out to be Hinata, as she flipped over to look at the unexpected guest.

"Sasuke." She seemed genuinely surprised. Her cheeks were red, not from shyness, Sasuke guessed. She looked paler and she looked sick. Her eyes also had light bags under them, making her seem exhausted.

"Hinata. You didn't come to school."

"I know I didn't" she said, trying to sit up.

"You're sick?" he asked.

"No shit." She said, finally sitting up. She motioned for him to sit and he took the wooden chair next to her desk.

"I came to return your jacket." he said.

"Alright." She said, as he put it on her desk.

"And Kakashi sensei also assigned a new project. We're partners." He informed her.

She nodded and for a second she looked dazed. "Don't you have servants or something?" he asked, curious as to why the heiress was lying there on her own, sick.

"We have a house keeper, Ame but she's on leave for a few days." Hinata said, while sniffing. Sasuke felt a little bad for her, because she had been in bed all day, from the looks of it, sick and with no one to take care of her.

"Did...you take medicine?" he asked, surprising even himself with his new concern. But after all, he was human.

"Never mind me, are you okay? You actually seemed genuinely concerned there for a moment." She raised her brow.

"I am human you know." He said, frowning.

"You don't often seem that way." She smiled to herself and tried to get out of bed. She stood and walked towards the bathroom, slowly and with the support of the wall.

She washed her face and fixed her hair, and came out looking a little better. She was wearing a dark T-shirt over trousers. As she walked out of the bathroom, she suddenly felt dizzy and stumbled. She expected to fall on the hard floor, but she felt herself being supported by something.

It was Sasuke looking at her with his brows raised. "You're really not well. You should call someone to take care of you." He suggested.

"Sakura and Ino already visited me. They suggested staying but I told them I was okay." she said.

They had come? When? Oh right...he had practice while they didn't. She still couldn't stay alone. "Did you even tell your parents?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She asserted, trying to stand again. She put a hand on the wall while she stood, getting out of Sasuke's grip.

"Alright. Walk to the bed without support." He said, crossing his arms.

"I said I was fine." She said, narrowing her eyes. He kept looking at her expectantly. She sighed and let go of the wall to walk. Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot. She was going grea-she stumbled again and landed on her knees.

Her legs didn't seem to support her. She felt dizzy too now. Maybe she'd over exerted herself. "Look Hyuga, I don't give a damn about you. Hell, I hardly know you. But I know your cousin and he would kill me if I left you like this." Sasuke said, grabbing her shoulders.

"So you have two options" he said, making her stand, supporting her within his arms "First, you either call your parents and ask someone to stay with you. Or second, you come with me and my mother will take care of you. She'd kill me if I left you like this, along with Neji. Painfully."

Hinata weighed her options. She didn't want to call her parents because they'd be worried and just keep calling her. On the other hand, she also didn't want to be a bother and go to the Uchiha household. She could call Tenten and ask her to stay the night. But Tenten was also gone for the exchange week along with Neji and their friend Lee.

Sakura and Ino would turn this into a sleepover and she was too tired to deal with it right now. She looked at Sasuke's stoic face and she saw her decision. It was clear.

"I'll call my parents. They'll send someone to take care of me." She said. She would rather deal with going crazy from their 10 calls per 5 minutes than going with him.

The bell rang as she called her mother. "Mother? Yes it's Hinata. Yes, school is going well. No. Actually, I'm not feeling very well. Yeah the house keeper is gone for some days. I was wondering....no. No, No, you don't need to do that. Mom listen...mom. Mom?"

Hinata almost threw the phone in frustration. "What?" Sasuke asked. Oh. Right. He was still there.

"She's calling Mikoto-san."

Sasuke smirked. "I told you to come with me." He shrugged.

"This is ridiculous. The Uchihas can't take care of everything that concerns me." Hinata said, looking at him.

"First of all, this is not everything. This is a weak, sick girl who is alone and desperate and needs help." Sasuke smirked and before she could protest with something like 'sadistic bastard', he carried on "And second of all, you're engaged to me. The Uchiha take their relations very seriously. In a way, when you got engaged to me, you became a daughter to mom so she'll want to be there for you."

Hinata didn't even know what to say to that.

They just looked at each other awkwardly for a few minutes before Sasuke's phone rang, making Hinata flinch. "Hi Mom." Sasuke said, smirking.

"You want me to get Hinata from her place? I wonder why?" he asked, smugly. Hinata refrained from jumping on him and strangling him with her bare hands. Need she remind him it was his fault they were in this situation? Because of his ego? Because he was a jerk and she was a stubborn idiot.

"I'll get her. Yeah, I'm on my way home." He said as he clicked off. "Pack." He instructed as he took a seat on her bed. She grumbled.

She walked to her closet slowly, pulling out a duffel bag and clothes. She packed a black dress, some T-shirts, a couple of trousers and shorts along with a sweater. What? She was cold..

She proceeded to the bathroom where she washed her face again and combed her hair into a messy bun. Sasuke noticed her slender neck and for a moment, he was distracted from seeing her pack. She had a really nice neck.

And...what the fuck? He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked away.

Hinata changed into a dark blue turtleneck underneath her baggy sweater. She also had a black legging underneath. She strapped on her sneakers and tugged on his jacket. He was still lost in some thoughts. She wondered what his problem was.

"I'm ready." She said. He eyed her for a moment before saying "Where's the necklace?" he asked. She looked confused. "Your engagement pendent." He explained, slightly annoyed.

"Why would I wear it?" she asked. "To kill me of fright, of course." he rolled his eyes.

"Ha, ha." She said her expression deadpanned. "No seriously, wear it." He told her before picking her duffel bag and walking out of her room.

He must have a reason for it, so Hinata walked to her dresser, to take out her necklace, kept in the case. She looked at it for a moment, watching the red and white fan glisten in the light. Then, she put it around her neck and walked out the door.

She felt good enough to stand now; although walking still made her feel nauseous.

He was standing by the car, the sunlight pouring over him. His eyes were half lidded and he was almost covered in the dark from her house's shadow. He looked perfect in the dark. There, in the moment, standing in the evening warm evening sun, she realized how incompatible they were.

He was a part of the dark landscape while she belonged in the sun. He was night while she was day. He was black and she was white. They were polar opposites. He was stoic, guarded, determined and strong.

She was open, passionate and stubborn. They could never get along. Their usual encounters were a proof of that. They both needed someone unlike them. She immediately thought of Sakura.

She was bubbly, beautiful and friendly. She was the opposite of Sasuke. She could easily make him love her. He could learn to love her and eventually be happy.

And there was Naruto, the ray of the sun, the loud, energetic and headstrong blonde. She could love somebody like him. He was just easy to love.

Sasuke shifted and came out of the shadow. "Are you just going to stand there?" he asked skeptically. She shook her head and walked towards the passenger seat. She opened the door and slid inside the convertible. The roof was removed for now.

"If you're cold..." he was saying when she shook her head. She actually wanted the air right now. He shrugged and sat inside. He turned the car on and started to drive. And she also had to admit, she had never admired how good of a driver he was. He did it easy. Like talking. Okay maybe that was a bad example. He did it like he breathed. Fluidly, calmly, easily.

They drove in silence. But it was not uncomfortable. "Why did you ask me to wear the necklace?" she asked suddenly.

"Because you have to present yourself as a devoted fiancé." He said eyes still on the road.

She let that sink in. She felt dirty. She was deceiving their families. How could she pretend to be something she was not? "I am not that." She said.

"Neither am I. We're just presenting that image. It's their fault for believing it." He shrugged like it was nothing. "And for not telling me I was engaged".

"Sasuke... Naruto asked me out...for Saturday. It's more of hanging out than an actual date but..." She said, feeling a little guilty.

"I know. He told me. And I was the one who told you we should live like normal teenagers." He said, still not looking at her.

"You don't mind?" she asked, suspiciously.

He looked at her, a little amused. "No I don't. Seriously, we're not in love. This is an arranged marriage situation. Not gonna happen."

She didn't say anything to that. She just breathed in and closed her eyes, loving the feel of the wind and the feeling of her bangs fluttering. They didn't speak for a few minutes.

"Naruto's a good guy." Sasuke broke the silence. He had just remembered how Naruto had asked him (he had asked him but minor details) to be his wingman. Maybe it was a bad idea because she was looking at him as if he had gone crazy.

"I mean, he's still a retard and he's kinda stupid but he's still a nice guy at heart." She looked at him, encouraging him to on, and also believe it herself that Sasuke was talking about his best friend in a good way. Well, almost good.

"And he's rich. The son of the president. Future president and all that." He said "He's also a fairly good player of basketball."

"Are you...trying to set him and me up?" she asked. Sasuke didn't look at her, but his face showed confirmation of his doubt.

He was going to say something when a sound caught him off guard. It was laughter. Really nice laughter. Hinata's laughter. "This is so absurd. A guy trying to set up his fiancé and best friend." She said, feeling better than she had all day.

Sasuke smirked. If she found this funny, let it be. He had done his part. He drove the rest of the way in silence.

Hinata smiled as she took in their estate. It was really big; reminding her of her house in America. She kinda missed that place and her parents. And even Neji. Maybe coming here was a bad idea; this was making her feel a bit dizzy.

She opened the car door and stepped outside. Sasuke handed her duffle bag to a servant before walking over to her, putting his arm around her, pulling her closer. She blushed at the contact, despite her nausea and sickness.

"We need to show that we're 'trying' or something like that." Sasuke muttered in her ear, making the servants smirk or nudge each other. Hinata nodded and blushed, confirming their 'suspicions.'

They entered the main house, just as Sasuke shut the wooden door with Hinata a few steps in front of him, they heard a squeal. "How's my favorite daughter?!" Mikoto jumped on Hinata like a whirlwind and knocked the breath out of her.

"First of all, you don't have a daughter and second, she's sick, don't jump on her." Sasuke reminded her, walking to them with his hands in his pockets.

"Possessive are we?" Mikoto teased him, loosening her hold on Hinata. "Whatever." Sasuke said.

Hinata knew this had been a bad idea when she saw Mikoto dressed like that. So casually. She looked like her mother, especially with that hair.

When Mikoto let her go, she tried to smile. "You look so tired." Mikoto commented "Don't worry, I'll take perfect care of you here."

Hinata smiled and then she felt dizzy again. "Hmm...she has a fever. Maybe she had better rest. She looks tired."

Then, Hinata swayed and she felt someone catch her as she fell and Mikoto shriek a "Hinata" before everything went black.
________

Sasuke sighed. This was so exhausting. All because of her. Mikoto was still pacing his room, worried sick. "Oh My God, I was so worried. Thank God she's okay now. Kami, she had me worried. I mean, she can't die now. She's my daughter in law. And she has to marry you yet and have lots of...."

"Mom." Sasuke cut her off sharply before she could further scar him. He was already tired and he didn't need this on top of everything.

After his 'beloved' Hinata had fainted, due to a high fever of 104 F, he had to catch her from falling which could result in a concussion. He had to carry her upstairs quickly (almost running) and put her on 'his' bed because that was the first place he had thought of.

Why not the couch? Because he would have to move her anyways. He had to calm down his mother, who had followed him to his room and was panicking because Hinata had fainted and what if she was dying?

Then he had to call a doctor, who had told them Hinata had a very high fever (no shit) which could worsen if not cared for properly and she could be something which must not be named in front of Mikoto to prevent her from hyperventilating (dead. Seriously, how hard was it?) If the fever escalated any further.

According to the doctor, Hinata needed lots of bed rest and a diet to follow. She had handed the chart to Mikoto and had walked out of the room with her, instructing something.

Sasuke had then gazed at Hinata's pale face who strangely looked asleep. He had sighed and plopped down on the chair and looked up at the ceiling, hoping that his feelings were conveyed to the Kami. Why him? Why him? Why couldn't she be someone else's fiancé, class mate, partner and most importantly, someone else's problem?

Now he was too tired and had plopped down on the other side of his bed, not caring what anyone thought. It was his bed. Mikoto suddenly stopped pacing, noticing Sasuke lying face first on his bed, on the other side of which, Hinata was lying.

She had to admit, despite her anxiety, they looked totally cute together. She smiled, determined now, that Hinata had to get better for them to get married (hopefully soon) and give her grandchildren along with Itachi and Izumi.

Suddenly, Hinata sat up, groggily in the bed. She panted and looked around. "Hinata." Mikoto said, walking over to her gently. She put a hand on Hinata's shoulder, and Sasuke who had turned his face towards her, still on the bed with his stomach, saw her relax.

"Are you okay now?" Mikoto asked, smiling gently. Hinata nodded.

"Yeah. Wh-what happened?" Hinata asked, as she looked around and realized it was Sasuke's room. What the hell? Was what she doing in here? All she remembered was black.

"You fainted. We called a doctor. You had a fever." Sasuke said, his voice a bit muffled as he had his face buried in a pillow again.

Hinata almost screamed when she saw Sasuke on the same bed as her. "Sa-Sasuke?" she asked, backing away, a little.

"Oh and now that you're awake" he said sitting up from his stomach to glare at her "Get the fuck off my bed."

"Sasuke, mind your language." Mikoto scolded, still looking at Hinata in a concerned manner "Besides, don't act like you weren't the one who brought her here."

Hinata looked at him with surprise while he mentally face palmed himself. Did his mom have to say that?

"I'm so sorry for the trouble Mrs. Uchiha, I don't even know why my mother called you to take care of me."

"Nonsense child. Who else would Hana call? And call me mother young lady." Mikoto said, sternly enough to be serious.

"A-alright?" Hinata said, nervously glancing at Sasuke to see his reaction. Nothing. He still had the poker face.

"Okay, can you get out now? Seriously, I'm tired." He said. And he was. Tired from practice, school and most of all, his fiancé.

"Yeah, alright. Help me take her to the guestroom across the hall." Mikoto instructed as she stood up. Hinata also tried to get out of bed.

"Seriously? That's in front of my room. I am not taking care of her for you." Sasuke sighed as he got up to walk towards the other side of the bed; towards them.

"Of course you won't" Mikoto said in a way that made him realize it would be better if he didn't speak at all. Hinata stood up but stumbled at once, still feeling weak and slightly fatigued.

"I'll help you walk." Mikoto said. "Forget it." Sasuke said as he swept her off her feet and carried her bridal style. Mikoto gushed at the sight before leading them out of the room.

Hinata's arms were uncomfortable so she put her arms around his neck and leaned against his chest slightly. Sasuke stiffened almost unnoticeably. But her arms felt good around his neck. He walked in front of the full body mirror in his room and paused for a milli second, watching the image of the petite girl in his arms.

They looked like...like a couple. A sappy, romantic couple. Not a boy who was forcibly and unknowingly engaged to a girl. Not an annoyed boy who was forced to carry his weak and sick fiancé as she was unable to walk at the moment. No. they just looked like a romantic couple, walking out of the room.

He couldn't help but notice how comfortable and right she just looked in his arms. And the fact that he looked so fitting carrying her.

...and the way his mother was smiling. He shook his head and walked out of the room. His mother walked across the hall into a large room. It was the most beautiful and comfortable guest house in their home.

It was inside the living area and was only given to privileged guests. Trusted guests. Sasuke remembered Shisui staying in the room a few years ago, for a week or so. He had not entered it in a while. Even so, he remembered it.

The queen sized bed with the spring mattress, lamps, wooden furniture, tables, rugs and pictures. The room screamed an aura of homeliness and he felt Hinata relax in his hold. He could tell she liked the room.

"Hinata, dear, you'll be staying in this room. I hope you like it. Sasuke, bring her here." she said, motioning to the bed. Sasuke walked over and placed her on the bed, surprisingly gentle.

Mikoto fluffed her pillows and covered her with a blanket, like a mother would. Sasuke saw Hinata's eyes soften and her lip quivered. Maybe she missed her mother.

"Now, you should sleep until dinner. I'll wake you up and hopefully you can meet Itachi and Fugaku for dinner. The doctor already injected you with the medicine, so your arm might be a little sore but you'll eat your medicine after dinner." Mikoto said, smiling affectionately.

"Thanks...." Hinata said, her eyes bright but tired at the same time.

"Okay, rest tight. I'll make some soup for you too." Mikoto said as she walked away from Hinata. Sasuke just watched them, his hands stuffed in his pockets and leaning against the wall. He thought his mother had given him a rather knowing look before walking away. But hey, he could be wrong.

"Your mother is really nice." He heard her voice as Mikoto left.

"Hn." Sasuke said, agreeing.

"You're....not as nice."

He glared at her. What the fuck? "In case you didn't notice, I just literally helped you." He said.

"That's because of your mom."

"I'm a nice person." Sasuke commented, watching as she shut her eyes.

"Maybe...who knows?" she said and then she said no more, drifting off to sleep. She looked so peaceful again. And beautiful. And pure...and

And he needed sleep because he was thinking crazy. He walked out of 'her' room and plopped onto his bed again. He would sleep now.

And sleep he did. Thinking thoughts of school practice and the brunette who had told him he wasn't nice.
_____________