So, here we are again. I thought this was going to be a one shot. I am not good at one shots. In fact. I don’t think I can write them. 😦 What is wrong with me?

---

“You don’t have to apologize again.” Her laughter was the soloist in the song of morning and he smiled even as he chopped the vegetables for the omelette she was cooking on the stove. 

“I ruined your hard wood floor.” he sighed, hanging his head slightly as he thought of all the work they had had to put into getting the paint out. In the end thinner had had to be used and then the wood had been damaged. The worn look of it wasn’t exactly unappealing and Hinata had mused that she rather liked it’s softened aesthetic. Sasuke had accused her of being a liar. 

“Sasuke.” She gasped slightly behind him, eyes wide. “You lied?You told me the duck babies did it!" 

He smirked slightly without looking at her. If he raised his eyes and actually took her in, traced the curve of her back beneath her pale pink pajamas and lingered on the tousled darkness of her hair he might melt to goo. 

"Those damned feathery monsters.” He mused slightly, his sigh lacking venom. “Did they keep you up all night too?”

“No.” She lied, and then flashed him a smile that tinged her cheeks rosy pink at his unwavering look. “Perhaps a little." 

"Maybe there’s cats around here.” He grumbled, dumping the chopped mushrooms and spinach into a bowl that she took with a pained look at his next words. “Maybe they would make a nice feline snack.”

“Please no.”

“I don’t know if I’m cut out for duck parenting.” He admitted, looking down at the brood of fluff at his feet sitting surprisingly silent and unmoving. Finally it seemed that the lack of sleep was catching up with the softly peeping ducklings and finding his feet and slippers rather warm they had all grown very still. Beady black eyes blinked slowly and wings fluttered half heartedly. 

“They sure don’t seem to mind.” Hinata pointed out, tossing the vegetables into the warm pan and smiling brightly at the sight of the slowly quieting feathery lumps. “Maybe they will sleep through the visit to the pet store.”

“I hope you’re right.” Sasuke sighed, watching as she grabbed the basket that had become the ducklings unofficial transportation device. Grinning still he watched as she gathered the babies in her delicate hands and relocated them to the basket carefully. 

“I think you’re being a great daddy, Sasuke." 

Sasuke bit his lip hard, unable to reply, unable to focus on anything else but the desire to tuck a lock of her dark hair behind her ear. Instead he let out a heavy breath and turned back to helping with breakfast. 

---

Perhaps the weekend was not going quite as well as he had originally imagined. Glaring sardonically at his new brood Sasuke sighed, heaving the laundry basket to his hip as Hinata opened the door. 

"I wonder if they will not appreciate fifteen ducklings at the pet store.” She murmured, moving aside to let him through. 

It was noon, already most of the weekend seemed to have escaped them and Sasuke was feeling like perhaps the ducklings were not as much a blessing as he had hoped. 

“You seem upset.” Hinata commented as she locked the door and glanced at him, following his steps down to the driveway where his car was parked. Sasuke blew out a breath and glared at the troubling lint in his laundry basket.  

“I am very sorry about that painting getting wrecked too, not just your wood floors.”

Hinata smiled again, opening his car door and settling herself before extending her arms to him for the basket of ducklings. “I told you it’s okay. I actually rather like their additions to the meadow.”

Sasuke made a face, settling the basket on her lap carefully to the distress of his babies who peeped and hopped awkwardly all jammed together to the side closest to their daddy. 

“You’re just saying that.”

“No!” Hinata laughed, catching an escaping duckling before it dove between the seats. “No, it’s adorable, I’m rather happy about it. I think I will keep it.”

“They wrecked your studio, Hinata.”

“My studio is my studio so I can get paint all over it if I want.” She shrugged her little shoulders and proceeded to hold several ducklings at once, burying her face among their fluffy bodies. “I’m happy.”

Sitting beside her with the keys in the ignition and his bottom lip firmly between his teeth he watched for a long agonized moment of pleasure and then nodded. “Well, if you’re sure.”

Giggles replied from behind the quacking ducklings and Hinata’s gray eyes peered at him above the fluff. “I’m sure.”

There was no point in arguing. 

The warming spring day soon had them lowering the windows and Hinata laughed as she spread her scarf over the top of the laundry basket to buffer some of the wind from the babies now quacking loudly and rather irritably. 

“I’m so afraid they’re just going to fly right out. They hardly weigh anything.” Hinata began and then gasped as one particularly adventurous duckling took a flying leap off a sibling and popped over the side of the white basket at Sasuke.

“Oh no!”

“Where’d he go?” Sasuke tried to keep an eye on the road while glancing down nervously, watching as Hinata riffled with one hand underneath her seat. 

“I…I can’t find him!”

“Hinata-”

“Don’t step on him! Don’t step on him, he’s by your feet!”

Sasuke paled and tried not to panic. “You mean by the break?”

One handed he tried to rummage down at his ankles, squinting in the light of the afternoon sun on still wet streets while listening to Hinata muttering irritably to herself while leaning over him.

 Her perfume or shampoo or whatever she was wearing that smelled so incredible was making him blink rapidly at her proximity and he felt his adrenaline escalate at the same time as his eyes landed on the intersection coming up. 

“If he’s behind my brake-” He began, voice terse, unable to finish at the thought of cracking duckling bones and weak pain filled quacking.

Hinata paled to match his skin tone, one hand holding the basket the other rummaging around by his knee and making him extremely aware of her fingers. 

“Okay, okay, wait- I’ll get him.”

In one fluid movement she had slipped between his arms, practically laying across his lap, the basket of ducklings precariously tipped and jammed between her hip and the passenger door. 

“Ah!” Sasuke gasped, straining not to jump as though electrified as she wiggled around in his lap. 

Blushing furiously he winced. “Red light!” He recognized the glowing red orb- it was familiar since his own face was practically the same thing.

“I-I got him!" 

And she emerged, breathless, rumpled, hair a mess and blushing. But in her hand was the duckling and on her lips was a wide triumphant smile. More out of breath than he should have been himself Sasuke nodded, glaring furiously at the duckling. "You brat!" 

"He didn’t know any better!” She was on the defensive in seconds, holding the duckling to her chest as though his glare might maim him. “No harm done.”

Sasuke did not agree. His blood pressure had surely skyrocketed and her touch on his thighs and the smell of her was still making it hard to think straight. 

“What am I going to do with fifteen ducks?” He sighed, slowing as they neared the intersection. Hinata smiled brightly again, watching him lean his head back tiredly. A true parent despite his reluctance.

“Love them?”

Despite his heart still trying to get out of his chest, he smiled. 

---

The girl behind the counter let her bubble gum grow to half the size of her face before she popped it and began the unattractive act of chewing again.

“Fifteen.”

Hinata nodded, tugging on her bangs nervously. “Yes… we just need to get some duckling food? And, maybe some advice on where to take them?”

“Fifteen ducklings in the city.” The girl repeated. Hinata cocked her head, just a slight motion to the right as though she was trying to understand and she nodded, voice polite, patient. 

All things Sasuke was not feeling. 

“Yes.” Hinata smiled. “Fifteen ducklings.”

The girl let out a snort that might have been her attempt at a laugh and then she blew another bubble with her loudly chewed gum. “You do know they live like… ten years- sometimes fifteen years each right?”

Sasuke had been about to tell her to please spit out the wad of gross in her mouth but paused at her words, blinking in the pet store fluorescent lights as the number blind sided him. “What?”

Hinata’s face had pinched as though getting a needle. “Oh! No… we did not know-”

The girl snorted again and Sasuke forgot anything else he was going to ask as she eyed Hinata lazily.

“Well now you know. Good luck with the duck farm.”

“All right-” The Uchiha began, his voice as sharp as a whip pulling back to strike. To his surprise Hinata intervened, leaning on the counter heavily, tapping one black boot on the ground behind her. "Actually, can we just talk to your manager, please?“

The girl blinked, and some of the lazy and condescending seemed to melt from her face. "Oh! I… I don’t know if he’s-”

“Oh I’m sure he’s here. I’m sure. I know him.” Hinata pressed, and Sasuke watched, brows raised as her usually calm and patient voice continued in it’s soft lilting tone stubbornly. 

“Oh! You… you know Mr. Inuzuka?”

“Kiba and I are old friends. You know what, it’s fine. I’ll text him-” Hinata waved a hand and began to gather her purse to pull out her cell phone and the girl jumped as though electrified.

 "N-no, no. It’s fine. I’ll get him, he’s just in the back with some… I’ll… no worries. Be right back.“ And she was gone, hurrying away so fast her apron strings became undone as she ran. 

Sasuke waited a moment until Hinata turned and leaned back against the counter to face him. 

"What was that?” He breathed, brows still raised. Hinata pouted, just the smallest pursing of her lips so they turned from glossy candy to petals.

 "What?“

"Here I thought you were the nice Hyuuga.” His smirk was appreciative and Hinata grinned back despite the blood rushing to her face. “I’m nice.” she tapped her fingers together and turned back to the counter where the ducklings were aiming them condescending looks of displeasure. “She was just…”

“Annoying.”

“I was going to say inefficient but-" 

Sasuke grinned at her back just as a voice rose from where the girl had vanished.

"Hinata!”

A little bounce of happiness had her hair flashing a myriad of blues and indigos and then a young man with a wild mess of brown hair was walking towards her, scooping her into his arms and squeezing her so that she giggled. 

Sasuke tried not to roll his eyes or otherwise show his displeasure. Still, his jaw was set in a strange tightness when Kiba finally turned to look at him.

 "Uchiha.“ He smiled, a little more feral than was necessary. "How’s it going?”

“Could be better.” Sasuke supplied dully and Hinata, sensing a tone she had not heard in his voice for many months jumped in. “We have ducklings.”

Kiba blinked at her and turned to the basket on his store counter, brows rising high into his hair line as he surveyed the fluffy mess.  

“Holy… Hinata how did-?”

“Sasuke saved them.” Hinata picked one up, pushing it towards Kiba’s face intensely. “They were going to die.”

“Sasuke did, huh?” Kiba glanced at the silent and now brooding young man behind him and chuckled. “Strange. I would have thought you’d get a kick out of crushing them with your car. Ten points per duck no?”

Hinata recoiled as though he had just said something dirty. “Kiba!" 

Twisting his mouth slightly to the side Sasuke looked steadily at Kiba for a long moment. "I also eat kittens for breakfast and drown puppies as a hobby. Anything else you’re puzzled about?”

“We need duckling food, and maybe a water tray?” Hinata glanced between them, slightly panicked. “And do you know where we can take them? Once they’re bigger?”

Kiba was giving Sasuke a wiggle of his eyebrows as he smiled before turning to look at Hinata. “Take them?" 

"Well… we can’t keep them.” Hinata laughed, and nervously pressed her fingers together. 

“The girl at the counter said they live for fifteen years." 

Kiba’s brows furrowed as he thought. "Yeah, I think that sounds about right. But the only place I can think of that will take ducklings raised by humans is like… a hobby farm, or a petting zoo?” He closed an eye as he thought. 

“Maybe you could give them to adoptive homes? But honestly, the longer you have them the more likely they’ll imprint on you.”

“Oh.” Hinata’s eyes widened and she glanced at Sasuke again nervously. Following her gaze Kiba blinked at him. 

“No.” He whispered, and Sasuke clenched his jaw a little more. 

“They imprinted on him?!” Kiba gaped and Hinata bit her lip although Sasuke had a feeling it was more to keep from giggling along with Kiba than from feeling bad. 

“Oh no!” He continued, his laughter contagious enough that Hinata buried her face in her hands to hide the smile forcing itself onto her lips. 

“You done yet?” Sasuke drawled lazily. “Yes, they imprinted on me.”

“Your duck-butt hair is finally fulfilling it’s destiny!” Kiba guffawed. Sasuke blanched. 

“My what hair, now?”

Hinata made a noise that Sasuke was sure he had heard a terrified kitten make once and turning to look at her both boys froze. 

“Ducklings!” She half sang half cried. 

In a flash she was hauling herself over the counter and Kiba was running around. The ducklings were on a mission, skipping over obstacles and floundering from the counter by way of the plastic bags by the till down to the floor. 

“Please tell me you counted them before you came in here!” Kiba gasped, scooping up peeping creatures and tossing them into the hammock he had made of his apron. 

“Fifteen!” Sasuke called. “We have fifteen. Maybe we should get it tattooed on our foreheads.” he muttered to Hinata who giggled nervously and passed him a handful. 

“We?” Kiba grunted, studying them for a moment as they gathered the ducklings in their arms and turned to look at him. 

“Yes.” Hinata’s reply was distracted as she tucked a duckling into the front pocket of Sasuke’s dress shirt before flashing him a grin despite his eye roll. 

Her friend froze as he watched, immensely interested in the way that Sasuke placed a duckling on Hinata’s head despite her protestations. 

“Huh."Kiba mused, dumping his own handful of ducklings into the basket in Sasuke’s arms. Squinty eyed he frowned at the Uchiha who balked slightly and frowned back in confusion. 

"Huh.” He said again. “So Daddy Duck went and got himself a Mama Duck, hm?”

Hinata had turned and was busying herself scooping out one baby from within a small nook in the service counter.

Sasuke took the moment to glare at Kiba openly, to which the young man grinned. “Wow. Oh wow. Wait until Shino hears this.”

“Hears what?” Hinata pulled back out from beneath the counter with a duckling in hand. 

“They need food, and water dishes.” Sasuke cut in, standing with his brood and a foul scowl on his face. “Are you going to sell us something or not?”

“Fine, fine.” Kiba stretched as he stood and then hauled Hinata up from the floor. “Let’s do this thing, Duck Daddy.”

Sasuke’s spine stiffened. “Do not call me that.”

“Sorry, what did you say, Duck Daddy?” Kiba called, marching away with a flustered Hinata towards the water fowl section. “I couldn’t hear over the screeching sound of you crushing on-”

“Never mind!” Sasuke snapped, following after them as they turned a corner. “Never mind, call me what you want!" 

Hinata only gaped in confusion at him even as Kiba flashed him another one of his wolfish grins.

---

"I know Kiba can be a bit irritating.” Hinata began very slowly from the carpet of the floor. A handful of ducks were sitting between her shoulder blades in the folds of her purple sweater, their eyes half mast and chests rising and falling rapidly with their sleepy breath. 

She let her own eyes relax slightly as she gazed at Sasuke carefully popping bits of softened duckling food pellets into the bills of the armful in his grip. 

“Hn.” He grunted, not agreeing, disagreeing or otherwise going on a rant about Kiba’s ability to infuriate. 

“But he’s a very nice person, and I think he might like you.”

“He hit me with the duckling food bag, Hinata.”

“But he calls you a nickname, he hardly calls anyone nick names." 

Sasuke closed his eyes, listening to Kiba’s voice as he waved from the store front at their departure. "See ya soon, Duck Daddy!”

“I don’t think nick name is exactly what I would call it.” He muttered darkly, looking over at her to see her grin both sheepish and amused. 

“Well, it’s accurate…”

“And humiliating.”

His phone ringing by her hand had him jumping slightly and before he could reach it she had flipped it onto it’s side to inspect it’s face. 

“Naruto.” She grinned, and without asking him permission picked up.
Sasuke felt his insides melt inside him, watching her peering at him through her bangs with his phone to her ear.

 The familiarity in her actions was so startling, and yet seemed so incredibly natural at the same time he couldn’t keep the slight widening of his eyes from showing.

“Hello, Naruto!”

He listened, eyes trained on the strawberry pink of her mouth as she smiled.
“Sasuke’s here, yes.”

Sasuke shook his head to signal he didn’t want to talk on the device and Hinata blinked rapidly her puzzlement, adding hastily. “Uh, I-um…I think he’s in the shower.”

A flush of scarlet covered her face and she meeped. “I… I don’t know for sure! I… I was just guessing!" 

He had never been so wide eyed. Staring unabashedly he watched as she buried her face into her folded arms. "Oh, look he just appeared- bye Naruto!" 

And she thrust the phone at Sasuke with a muffled "Sorry!" 

Still staring at her bowed head Sasuke raised the device to his ear, unsure of what to make of her blazing red ears peeking out from between the folds of her dark hair. 

"Teme, are you listening?”

“…yes.” Sasuke breathed confusedly, frowning at Hinata.

“Are you guys finally a thing? I don’t think I have ever had anyone pick up the phone for you. I almost spilled the beans.”

“You almost-?” Sasuke choked. “What… what did you-?" 

"Nothing, although when she said you were in the shower I thought maybe she and you had finally got to-”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“No, no, no- wait! I’m giving you guys fair warning, that’s why I called! Sakura heard about the ducklings and then Ino found out and now because Ino knows..”

“Everyone knows.”

“Yes, we’ll be there in about an hour, I think. Stopping to pick up some dinner before we show.”

“What? No-”

“See ya in a bit." 

Sasuke stared at the phone, noticing movement from Hinata out of his peripheral vision. 

"Everything okay?”

It seemed he would be doing a lot of apologizing while staying at her house until the ducklings were no longer a problem. 

“…well.” He began slowly, finally lifting his eyes up to the pink cheeked girl waiting patiently for him to speak. Her gray gaze was shining, a contrast to her dark hair and rosy mouth and face. Breathing slowly Sasuke bit his lip, trying to organize his thoughts around something other than her patient expression and what it did to him. 

“I think there might be an influx of people arriving soon." 

Hinata’s brows rose and then she grinned, smoothing out any worry and concern with the tsunami of her loveliness. "We can show off your daddy skills!”

Leaning his head back and closing his eyes Sasuke sighed, blushing despite his attempt to remain calm. 

“Just… don’t call me Duck Daddy, okay?" 

"Noted. You’re Papa, I’ll be Mama." 

Feeling the caressing touch of duckling faces nuzzling against his cheek Sasuke smirked.