#shweekly

Hinata huffed, slowly climbing the ladder leading up to the rooftop of the onsen-ji her family owned. On days when she needed to feel peace, she often laid on the rooftop tiles and looked for the night’s constellations.

Today was one of those days.

Hinata shivered and brought her jacket closer around her. It was forecasted to snow soon, and the onsen-ji would be busy in the next coming days. Winter was always their peak season. Exhaling a long sigh, Hinata settled herself on the clay tiles and laid down with her long hair fanned out under her, staring at the clear night sky.

Silently, she began mapping the night sky’s constellations.

‘There’s Orion’s Belt and if that’s there, then Orion is right…there!’ Hinata smiled to herself, proud, even though she’s mapped the constellations hundreds of times before. Ignoring her buzzing phone, her eyes searched for Rigel, the brightest star in the constellation.

‘What was the trick to finding Rigel?’ she thought as she squinted her eyes at the night sky. Hinata tightly closed her eyes and blinked a couple times to refocus her vision. ‘Orion’s Belt goes up like that…’ Hinata’s eyes followed the slight curve of the stars and her mind drifted to a memory she kept to herself.

It was the eve of her birthday that year.

Traditionally, she celebrated her birthday the day before with friends since her family celebrated her birthday by staying in the temple all day. Rubbing her gloved hands together, Hinata followed a boy with dark hair to the ladder steps leading to the temple’s rooftop. They had left their group of friends in one of the rooms, fast asleep and warm, having karaoked themselves out during their festivities.

‘Sasuke-kun? What are we doing up here?’ she asked as she followed him up the ladder.

He looked down at her between the ladder steps. ‘You’ll see.’

Hinata softly chuckled. ‘O-okay, Sasuke-kun.’

Sasuke grunted as he hefted himself over the last step and offered his hand to help pull Hinata up as she got closer to the top of the ladder. He pulled her in close, sharing his warmth. ‘Keep your eyes closed,’ he whispered in her ear.

Hinata felt her heart skip a beat - in anticipation, nervousness, having Sasuke so close; she doesn’t know. Obediently she closed her eyes and allowed Sasuke to lead.

He kept his arm wrapped around her, as he held her hand with his free hand. His voice was gentle as he guided her away objects she could trip on.

‘You really need Neji to come back from college and clean up the roof,’ he muttered. Hinata smiled, hearing the smirk in his voice.

‘Or you could come, and I’ll help you clean up,’ she answered. Sasuke didn’t respond back but she felt him pull her closer to him, squeezing her hand.

He brought them to a stop and Hinata felt the warmth of his arm leave her shoulder as his hold on her hand.

‘Okay, open your eyes.’

Hinata opened her eyes and softly gasped at the sight in front of her. Sasuke had cleaned up a small portion of the roof, and what greeted her was a thick blanket laying on the tiles, a quaint picnic basket was placed upon the rooftop ledge. String lights were strewn up providing a soft glow to the scenery.

‘Sasuke-kun,’ Hinata breathed out.

Sasuke gave her a small smile. ‘Come on, hopefully your cinnamon rolls will still be warm.’

Hinata smiled at the memory. Remembering that night well, after enjoying the cinnamon rolls, Sasuke taught her how to identify the constellations. She could still remember his voice guiding her through the process. ‘Now remember to find Rigel, you just need to find his belt and then follow the line to his foot. And…there it is.’

Hinata’s eyes traced Orion’s Belt once again and, true to his word, when she followed the imaginary line to where Orion’s foot would be, Rigel shone brightly.

Hinata nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone started buzzing in a consecutive pattern. Fumbling with her phone, she squinted as her eyes adjusted to the brightly lit screen.

She bit her lip as she scrolled through her missed text messages.

I’m so excited~ I can’t wait to see everyone! 💞- Ino

The hot springs are gonna do wonders on my aching muscles~ 💆 - Sakura

I could help with that… 👀 - Naruto

Gross! Keep that shit to yourselves!! - Kiba

No one needs to know! - Ino

Agreed. - Shino

Is Sasuke even in this group chat? - Shikamaru

Naruto, I’m going to kill you. 💢 - Sakura

-Naruto added Sasuke to the chat-

Heya, bastard! We’ll pick you up at the airport! - Naruto

See you all at the famous Konohagakure Onsen-ji! 💖- Ino

That was nearly an hour ago. The airport is one hour away from the onsen-ji. They would probably be here in the next thirty minutes or so. Gulping down her sudden nervousness, Hinata figured it was time to get herself ready for her friends’ arrival.

Hinata dusted herself off and made her way towards the ladder to go back down when she felt her phone vibrate.

‘The hawk has landed and has been retrieved! 👍 ETA: soon-ish…’ - Naruto

Despite her nervousness, Hinata couldn’t help but smile. She quickly sent a reply and made her way down the ladder to enter the warm temple.

“Good evening, Hinata-sama,” a voice greeted her. “I take it you had a refreshing time up on the roof?”

Hinata gently nodded her head. “Yes, thank you, Ko-san. Has the Presidential Suite been prepared for our guests?”

Ko bowed his head. “Everything has been prepared to your requests, Hinata-sama.”

-

Familiar scenery whizzed past him as he sat in the backseat of Naruto’s car. Sasuke perched his chin in the palm of his hand, as he looked out the window. Nothing much had changed since the last time he was in the country, but at the same time, he felt everything had changed.

“Dude, seriously?! You’re going to get another traffic ticket if you run one more red light!” Kiba yelled from the passenger seat to the blonde who was driving.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. “What’s one more traffic violation? Besides, I wanna make sure we get there before the girls and Shino, so we get the best view!”

Sasuke heard Shikamaru let out a small sigh as he felt the small car speed up.

“You know Hinata secured the Presidential Suite, right? There’s no need to speed up. We’ll all have the same view.” Shikamaru rolled his eyes, stopping at Sasuke next to him. His hair, grown out a little longer since the last time he saw him, covered his face but he could tell the mention of Hinata’s name had unnerved him a bit.

“Isn’t she great?” Naruto dreamily sighed. “Being the heiress of an onsen-ji must be amazing! Having people at your beck and call, the great food, and the sweet, sweet hot springs,” Naruto shimmied his shoulders in delight.

Kiba and Shikamaru kept silent, aware of Hinata’s real situation with being the heiress, and watched Sasuke’s reaction from the corner of their eyes.

Sasuke, unaware of their eyes on him, turned outwards to the window and stared up at the clear night sky.

“Idiot,” he whispered.

Shikamaru cleared his throat and caught Naruto’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Did you tell Hinata we’re on our way?”

Naruto slowed to a stop, arriving at a red light. “Oh, shoot! Let me do that right now,” Naruto took his phone out from his pocket.

Kiba’s eyes widened as motorcycle police pulled up next to them. Promptly, he snatched Naruto’s phone from his hand.

“Hey!”

“Not in front of the cops!” Kiba’s head jerked towards the passenger window.

Naruto sheepishly smiled as he made eye contact with the officer. He nervously gripped the steering wheel.

"Why don't you tell Hinata-chan this…"

Sasuke tuned out Naruto’s voice. The scenery outside soon changed from a cityscape with tall buildings and bright lights to Japanese pine trees illuminated by the stars.

A stark contrast to the life he was living for the past four years. Sasuke’s lips pressed into a thin line. Living abroad was an absolute nightmare for him. He couldn’t find a way to fit in at university, not to mention the language barrier made it difficult for him to express himself in the first year.

And if he was caught up with the wrong people, well… Sasuke looked down at his hand and closed it in a fist. He knew how to take care of them nonverbally.

He broke out of his quiet musings as he heard Kiba, and Naruto loudly laugh and mention Hinata’s name and the onsen.

Sasuke looked down dejectedly. His thoughts moved to the girl he left behind. He couldn’t blame anyone but himself for not keeping in contact. Though they had tried to keep in touch in the beginning, it began to fizzle as the months abroad turned into years. And daily texts had slowly turned into sporadic messages sent at odd hours due to their time difference. But still, she found ways to surprise him and even sent him a care package through his brother Itachi ‘It seemed like she was really busy, but she took the time to make this for you. The least you could do is say thank you.’ Sasuke could hear his voice clear in his mind.

Sasuke responded by sending her beautifully woven cloth of deep purple with silver thread sewn in intricate patterns for her to use when her family’s announcement of becoming the temple heir became public.

“Hey.” Shikamaru’s low voice broke his reverie. “Hinata hasn’t changed that much.”

Though Shikamaru wasn’t looking at him, Sasuke turned to stare at him.

“She’s still the same, sweet Hinata from high school. Just a little bit older and more responsibilities.” Shikamaru glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “She hasn’t tried dating since you left.”

Sasuke let this information sink in.

“We’re here!” Naruto announced. “Damn, the girls and Shino beat us to it.”

Naruto parked his car right behind Sakura’s car and waved at the trio. Sasuke got out of the car and shivered. Snow would fall soon, he mused. He grabbed his things and slammed the door shut. Kiba noisily ran towards his best friend while Shikamaru and Naruto followed to greet the rest of their friends.

Sasuke looked around, noticing that not much had changed at the temple. The trees may have gotten taller. The stone steps may have gotten a little smoother. He looked up and immediately spotted the constellation he was looking for earlier. The corner of his mouth lifted up in a small smile.

“Good evening, everyone,” a soft voice called out.

Sasuke sharply turned around. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for this moment. He noticed their friends surrounded her as she stood at the entrance of the temple. Slowly, he took her in with slightly widened eyes. She was a little taller than he remembered, her violet hair a little longer, but her face still held the same smile and gentle eyes he remembered.

“Welcome back,” Hinata smiled at him with a soft blush on her face - probably from the cold, he decided.

“I-” Sasuke instantly became aware of their friends' expectant eyes on him. Heart beating wildly in his chest, he schooled his features into a blank expression.

“Hnn,” he nodded and made his way towards his friends. He couldn’t help but notice Hinata wore a brighter smile than Rigel shining in the sky.

---

Mini Author's Note: honestly, I'm not very good at summaries. So, I'm keeping that as is.

Hinata didn’t see much of Sasuke after sharing breakfast with him. She didn’t have too much time to spend with him but she relished his reaction when he bit into the onigiri. She knew it was one of his favorites and it was such an easy dish to make, she’d make it any time for him.

After they both finished the tray of food she brought out, Hinata encouraged him to come back inside but Sasuke turned down the offer. She softly smiled, which Sasuke returned.

“Come back inside when you’re ready,” Hinata patted a mittened hand on his arm. Sasuke nodded in response and set out to continue shoveling the snow.

Inside of the inn, things were going smoothly - better than what Hinata imagined. The other patrons of the inn were familiar and frequent visitors. Having the inn as the family business and working there all her life gave her time to get to know, not only the ins and outs of the business, but the people who enjoyed their establishment.

It was one of the defining differences between her and her father. Both new and older guests gravitated toward the soft-spoken heiress, something that Hinata knew was good for the onsen-ji but terrible for her social anxiety.

“Hinata-san, what a great idea you had,” one of the guests complimented her.

Hinata slightly bowed in thanks to the older couple before her. “I’m glad you are enjoying yourself, Taisho-san.”

The older gentleman nodded and tipped his head towards the door. “I see you and Fugaku’s son are still friends.”

Hinata felt her face become hot. It was well-known that the older Uchiha aimed to have his sons follow his lead in the family business. The oldest son Itachi was as distinguished as Neji in the business world. With Hinata following in her father’s footsteps, Fugaku didn’t expect less for his own younger son. But Sasuke had different plans for his future than what his father had planned. Fugaku rarely held back the disdain he had for his younger son’s lack of drive.

“Yes,” the young heiress nodded. “I’m happy to call him one of my friends, if not my closest friend.”

Taisho-san nodded. “It would be interesting to see a Uchiha-Hyuuga merger someday, don't you think?”

Taisho-san's wife lightly patted her husband's arm. "Playing matchmaker, are we?"

The older gentleman shrugged, giving Hinata a playful wink.

Hinata held a tight smile on her face, unsure of how to respond.

To her relief, Sasuke entered the inn, shovel in hand, shaking off some snow from his yukata. His face was flushed from his outdoor task. Hinata brightened at the sight of him.

"If you will excuse me, Taisho-san," Hinata smiled and gave a quick bow to the older man and his wife and made her way to Sasuke's side.

Hinata hastened her footsteps before the other female employees could encircle him. Somehow, the idea that Sasuke began shoveling the snow to prove his worthiness to Hinata began to circulate among the young female employees. She was sure his so-called gallant effort would draw an unwanted crowd.

Sasuke caught her eyes as she headed towards him, giving her a tiny nod. She got to him just in time, as the younger female staff stood just around the corner.

"How's the work, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked, brushing off some snow from his hair.

Sasuke shrugged one shoulder. “It feels like I barely made a dent.”

Hinata softly laughed. “You don’t have to do this. It’s a lot of snow.”

Sasuke looked away, avoiding her gaze. “I wanted to be helpful.”

Hinata let her hand softly graze the side of Sasuke’s face, turning it towards her before she let it drop to her side. In a quiet voice she said, “You being here is helpful enough for me.”

Sasuke didn’t respond but she could feel his gaze on her. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

“Please stay.”

-

Later in the evening, Sasuke sat among his friends, warm under the kotatsu as one of the older monks from the temple told the tale of the power struggle between the Taira clan and the Minamoto clan to the guests of the inn. Many of the patrons were asleep, save for a few older ones who listened to the monk.

Next to him, Hinata sat, bobbing her head every so often. The rest of their friends around them fell asleep, snoring softly.

“And you know,” the older monk said slowly, “the Taira clan was so powerful, at their peak they claimed the bright red star as their symbol. The heike-boshi inside tsuzumi boshi. I think the Westerners call it Betelgeuse, in the constellation Orion.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. The Heike tale was something they briefly learned about in classical Japanese history, but their teachers never mentioned the old clan symbols. As he remembered it, the Taira clan was associated with a red swallowtail butterfly.

"What's funny is that the heike-boshi was believed to be the brightest star but now a different star is the brightest in tsuzumi boshi. I suppose, even the stars knew about the downfall of the Taira clan long before they did."

The monk went on to tell the trials and successes the Minamoto clan faced once they took power, but Sasuke wasn’t paying attention. Hinata’s head was laying on his shoulder and it took everything in him to calm his racing heartbeat.

He sat as still as a rock, trying to take calming breaths. Sasuke took a peek down at Hinata - she was still awake, though sleep was desperately trying to take over. He looked around, seeing his friends still asleep, and an idea popped into his head. He ticked his shoulder up to get her attention.

Hinata looked up at him with a questioning look in her doe-like eyes. Sasuke looked up towards the ceiling, then back down to her with a raised eyebrow.

With a knowing smile, she nodded. “Let me get my jacket,” she whispered.

Sasuke nodded and carefully folded the blanket of the kotatsu so as not to disturb their friends around them. Taking Hinata’s hand, he gingerly guided her through the sleeping pile their friends were in and managed to pass by unnoticed by the older monk and his small audience as he still regaled his tale.

In their room, Hinata grabbed a long, thick jacket and swapped her tabi for thicker socks and shoes. She had half a mind to change out of her kimono but decided against it. It would take too long to remove it and even longer to make sure everything was straightened out before leaving.

Sasuke put on a jacket over his yukata to keep him warm. His heart wasn’t beating as fast as it was earlier but now his hands were getting a little clammy. He had it all planned out when he was shoveling the snow earlier. Now that the time was drawing near, he found himself second-guessing his decision. Sasuke put aside his indecision when he saw Hinata slip on her jacket.

“Will you be okay climbing up the ladder in your kimono?” he asked.

Hinata zipped up her jacket and gave him a small smile. “I’ll manage.”

-

Hinata’s breath was noticeable as she took small steps, following Sasuke on the ladder to the roof of the temple.

Sasuke looked down at her between the ladder steps, concern evident on his face. She smiled; the sight was very familiar to her.

“Are you doing okay?”

Hinata nodded. “I’m fine, Sasuke-kun.”

Sasuke took his time, wiping snow away from them on the ladder steps to make it easier for her as she followed in his steps. Soon enough, he reached the top and pulled himself over the edge. Using both arms, he grabbed onto Hinata and helped her onto the temple roof.

“Have I gotten heavier since the last time we were on here?” she lightly joked.

Hinata saw a light blush on his face from her gentle teasing. “There’s more snow than there was four years ago. At least from what I can remember,” Sasuke murmured.

An embarrassed Sasuke was a sight few had the privilege to see. A rare blush dusted his face as he looked down at the snow covering the roof. Hinata carefully walked toward him, extending her hand.

“Shall we see who catches Orion first?”

Sasuke hummed in response and took her hand. He kicked off some thick snow from the roof, enough so that it wouldn't soak through their clothes. Once he was seated, he helped Hinata carefully sit down in her kimono.

"Had I known you'd wear this in snowy weather, I would have purchased different material," he softly chuckled.

Hinata put her hands to her face in embarrassment. "I… this is my favorite kimono!"

She heard his soft laughter in the quiet night. Hinata's face was blazing hot as if she told him her deepest secret.

"I'm glad you wore it."

Hinata turned her head toward him in surprise. "You are?"

"Mm," Sasuke nodded his head. "I didn't know if you… or if any of our friends would still be my friend after I moved away."

Hinata put a hand on his arm and squeezed it gently. "Sasuke-kun…"

"I have to admit that I was too deep in my feelings. I was angry my dad moved us so far away, like he just took us and uprooted everything like we have to bend to his will and just go along with it…" Sasuke looked up at the sky. It was clear, not a cloud in sight. Wind lightly blew, casting a chill around them.

"I looked up at the sky, every night, as it was the only solace I had in our new place. It was the only thing I knew would be the same for you, for our friends." Sasuke turned to look at her. "I'm… sorry that I didn't keep up with our text messages. Or with anyone. Now that I look back at it, it seemed more like a one-sided friendship than an actual one."

Hinata moved her hand from his arm to hold his hand. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this, Sasuke-kun. There were times when I thought I was annoying you, especially when our communication wasn’t consistent.

It was hard being your friend. And after being friends with you for so long, I didn’t want to lose your friendship. That’s why, even though my insecurities told me otherwise, I continued to send you texts, send you my worries because…I still valued your friendship. And somehow, I knew I’d get a response back, be it eight or twelve hours later. I’d hear a little chime on my phone, and I’d know it was you.”

Sasuke squeezed her hand. “I was foolish. I’m really sorry, Hinata.”

Hinata looked down at their clasped hands and thought about her next set of words carefully. There were unspoken words between them, and she wanted to make sure he fully understood what she was trying to say.

“I think…I should be the one apologizing,” Hinata felt Sasuke twitch.

“What?” Sasuke crumpled his brow.