Realized this detail may have been kinda important. But the ending scene of Hidden in Plain Sight is like… five seconds after the vows. Five seconds of being married to Uchiha Sasuke and she's really happy… I would be too… insert sketchy comment about five seconds…

anyway, standard disclaimers are all glaring balefully at me so.. yea, I'll just put them riight here.

Hinata was… married. Uchiha Hinata. It was… different from being Hyuuga Hinata. She belonged to Sasuke, willingly giving away her name for his. She was happily his, body, mind and soul. She was kneeling next to him, her in the traditional white kimono, him in the black, Uchiha fan emblazoned on the back. All of the available shinobi had come, as had the majority of Konoha. The union of Konoha's influential families was no small affair. The expansive Hyuuga estate was filled with people. Sasuke knew for a fact that he didn't know them. Hinata however… Hinata seemed to recognize most of them. They were all cheering and clapping. For them.

Sasuke leant over, and kissed her. He could still taste the sake they had shared. She had that adorable dusting of pink across her cheeks, not entirely from the alcohol. She gave him that sparkling smile that warmed his heart and his cheeks. They stood, together and turned, so that they faced the mass of happy people. And together they walked. Down the path that cleared for them, out of the Hyuuga estate, through the roads. They stopped in front of the memorial tribute of fallen ninja. They stood before it for a moment, and as one bowed low. Those who had chosen to follow them, rather than begin the feast, mostly ninja, approached after they had straightened, and also paid their respects…

"I want ramen."

And then it turned into a race back to the Hyuuga estate. Hinata, despite the heavy kimono was actually keeping up fairly well. Naruto and Sasuke had fallen back into their friendly rivalry mode and were probably already back. Ino, Hinata and Ten Ten were laughing far too hard to even think about racing that seriously, so they slowed to a walk. They were picking their way through the streets, trying to keep their clothes out of the dust. They passed by an empty street and then stopped. Sasuke was leaning against the wall, not at all out of breath, though he had obviously gone back for them. He swept his wife up into his arms, kimono and all, and while Ino and Ten Ten renewed their painfully amused laughter, carried her up over rooftops and back home.

"Get tired of waiting?"

"Well we can't start with half of the celebration tiptoeing through the streets in a heavy kimono."

"Sasuke… put me down… please."

Sakura was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was in the formal gown she had been going to wear at the wedding. Yes, she had reconciled herself to never having Sasuke… in her heart of hearts; she knew that Hinata was everything she was and more. It made sense, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Even after a year.

She had resolved herself… but that morning all of it had shattered. It started when she slipped on the pink silk dress. It got worse as she did her makeup. By the time she started on her jewelry, she couldn't take it. Sasuke was getting married, and it wasn't to her. She wasn't in her dream wedding gown, she wasn't in the stuffy formal white kimono for Clan weddings; she wasn't the one getting married today. She was going to watch her friends being happy for someone else. And she couldn't do it.

There was someone at the door. Probably Naruto wanting know why she wasn't celebrating with the rest of the town. She sighed and sat up. When she opened the door, she was met by a dark head.

"H-Hinata! What are you…?"

"She insisted we stop by and make sure you were alright."

Uchiha Sasuke and Hinata were outside her apartment, still in their formal robes. Hinata was bowing to her, Sasuke leaning against her door frame, looking for all the world like he could still pull off his bad ass attitude in a kimono. He was succeeding, and it was pulling at her heartstrings.

Hinata straightened, and surprised them all by pulling Sakura into a hug. She just barely heard Hinata whisper "I'm sorry". And she wanted to cry. She couldn't hate Hinata, she couldn't hate Sasuke, she couldn't avoid either of them. All she could do was suffer their happiness, and hope that it wouldn't kill her.

"Please come, Sakura. At least get a dance with him."

Sasuke was staring at a spot on a far away wall. Sakura turned to the white eyes looking at her hopefully.

"H-hai."

She actually had a good time. True, after Hyuuga Hiashi had switched Hinata for his younger daughter, and Sasuke had traded his sister-in-law for his wife, Sakura had been forced to stare at the very well polished floor. Bare feet and black slacks entered her vision and she looked up into Naruto's understanding face. By then almost everyone was dancing. He pulled her up and into a dance. Sasuke was close to them, dancing with Ten Ten, and both looked rather put out about it. Hinata reappeared in a lighter dress than the kimono, and laughingly switched places with Sakura, who she nudged toward Sasuke. Ten Ten gladly switched out, and those who were watching very closely swore they saw her pull several senbon out of her hair, throwing a mischievous grin toward a certain someone. Whatever the reason, Hyuuga Neji was very quick to take to the dance floor.

Sakura danced with Sasuke in silence. There really wasn't anything to say. Other than…

"Sakura… Thank you."

The same words he'd said to her before leaving Konoha years ago. Again he was leaving her. But that wasn't true, was it? He'd never been hers, he hadn't come back for her. He had never been hers. All those times she'd helped him had been out of love. She kept trying and failing and trying again. She hadn't grown up at all.

The dined and danced all afternoon, and well into the night. Tsunade had allowed the shinobi population an entire day free from missions, and they all intended to take advantage of it. As the hours passed, soon only ninja remained. Amid laughter and racy wolf calls, Sasuke guided his wilting wife out of the room. As soon as they were out of earshot from the noise, she looked up at him and giggled.

"You'd think they'd have grown up a little by now."

Hinata just kept laughing and shook her head. "Some of them will always have their childish nature. That's what makes them who they are."

"Whatever. Shall we check the damage to the room we're supposed to be sleeping in tonight?"

They found multiple bells hidden in the springs of the mattress. Luckily Shino was not the kind of person to play pranks. Otherwise the threat of those insects would have made them both rather… antsy?

"I had Neji prepare another room in case I was right. It's further down the hall. Shall we?"

The shouji door slid closed, and Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Hinata celebrated the union of the two Clans as fully and intimately as a man and his wife could. (Over and over and over) After all they were just beginning the rest of their lives. If anyone thought they had moved too hastily, they didn't fully understand what it was to be a ninja. The chance that you wouldn't live as long or as healthily as a normal person was not a small one. And Uchiha Sasuke was not going to waste a moment of this life now. He'd waited too long to be happy.

I can try to write this sort of thing... and I can fail... let's just hope that I didn't