Here's the deal, pickles. It's my birthday, but I don't have 20 fics at my disposal, so the rest of this week will be filled with updates and junk until I hit 20. My gift for me to you.

Week of 06/09/15

Enjoy!

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It was a big deal.

Kinda.

In truth, Sasuke didn't know how to feel about being engaged. The idea of marriage had never really crossed his mind despite knowing he'd probably pair off with someone one day. As he got older, the idea of rebuilding his clan had appealed to him less and less because the life of an Uchiha wasn't exactly paved with gold and lined with roses. No, he didn't particularly crave children to carry his blood or his legacy anymore because, he had to face it, they would never find happiness in this world.

And they would never be full-blooded Uchihas.

Time and again, he tried to remember if every single person he knew from his clan had been of pure blood, but he had been young, and it wasn't a thought that would have interested him. Still, he was stuck on the idea of a true Uchiha having full-blooded Uchiha parents, so maybe his childish vendetta had been impossible from the very beginning. But, he knew, his way of thinking about this would change.

And, really, he was only thinking about this so much because all his other worries and pains had been dealt with.

That, and he was engaged.

Engaged...

Even though he had never given it much thought, he thought it would be...different from what it actually was. Or, more accurately said, he thought actually proposing would be different than what happened.

"So, how did you propose?"

Sasuke froze, looking up from the table. He was seated in Ichiraku; Naruto and Lee were seated to his left while Shikamaru and Choji were seated on his right. He supposed he should have expected this question sooner rather than later. He and Hinata had been engaged for a month, and they had spent two months in The Land of Lightening. It was only last night that the two had arrived back in Konoha, and, well, Sasuke wondered if he should have come up with answers to questions such as these while traveling back.

"Hey, come on," Naruto said, nudging him. "I know you didn't do anything romantic, but you did do something."

"Okay," Sasuke said, slightly uncomfortable. "What of it?"

Naruto frowned, somewhat confused. "Just... Whatcha do? How did you you propose? Did you get down on one knee?"

"Did you have flowers?" Choji asked.

"Did you treat her to dinner?" Lee chimed in.

"Did you show any emotion?" Shikamaru added.

Emotion.

Emotion...

How exactly could he explain to them how it happened? Hinata was probably being bombarded with questions at this very moment, so there was no use in lying about it; Sasuke Uchiha couldn't save face forever.

Or could he...?

"Well, well, well."

No, he couldn't.

"If it isn't the man himself," Kiba said as he and Shino entered the ramen shop. He hooked his arm around the Uchiha's neck, leveling with him. He grinned. "Heard about the proposal."

"Whaaaaaaaat?" Naruto turned to him. "Hinata was easier to crack than Sasuke? Should've went to her first."

"Yeah," Kiba said, his eyes still locked on the man not looking at him. "She's real eager to tell the story. In fact," Kiba straightened, "I can tell it-"

Sasuke sighed. "Just listen."

One Month Ago

Sasuke sat on the hotel bed, hunched over with his elbows on his knees. Hinata was in the bathroom, and he had been staring intently at the wall ever since she went in.

This was it.

Tonight was the moment.

He was going to propose to Hinata.

He closed his eyes, feeling them roll. Every time he thought about doing it, he was overcome with a feeling he couldn't decipher between nervousness and fear. Maybe it didn't matter which was the most dominate because it was hindering him all the same. He and Hinata had been dating for eight years, and it was over three months ago he actually bought a ring. He kept it in the Nakano Shrine located in the Uchiha district because he couldn't risk his girlfriend accidentally discovering it with her Byakugan. It was a risk he brought it with him on this mission for that very same reason, but he had to do it while they were here.

There weren't as many distractions as there were in Konoha.

And yet, as he waited for her to come out, he wondered if he was doing this all wrong.

Maybe he shouldn't have planned this around convenience. Maybe he should have put more effort into this. They both had talked about their future together after dating for four years, so he wasn't worried over what her answer would be, but maybe she wanted something romantic. Hinata never told him if she had a dream proposal or a dream wedding in mind, and, really, she never complained for the lack of romance he incorporated in their relationship so far. He saved most things resembling romance for her birthday and the holidays that called for it.

But maybe that was the problem...

Did she save hope that he'd pull out all the romance he could muster for this moment—their moment? Or did she just have no expectations at all? Did she think he'd never propose? Is that why the topic was never pushed, or was he just supposed to know?

"What's wrong?"

Sasuke opened his eyes. Hinata was standing outside the bathroom wrapped in a towel and drying her hair. "I'm fine," he said.

"Hm." She walked over to him, cupping his cheek and using her thumb to smooth away a frown he hadn't been aware of. "If you say so." She smiled softly; he wondered if it was at him. "But when you're ready to tell me, I'll listen."

"Hm." Sasuke took her hand from his face and held it. "Hungry?"

"I could eat." She paused. "I don't have much to cook with while we're here, though."

"I wasn't planning on you cooking."

Hinata's eyebrows rose. "You plan to cook?"

Sasuke frowned again. "No." That would have been romantic, wouldn't it? "Let's go out."

"Oh... I just took a shower..."

Damn...

He was thinking too much about what to do that he was forgetting to be practical.

"Right..." He looked away briefly. Maybe he just wasn't cut out for romance. "Listen-"

"Actually," Hinata said, staring over his head thoughtfully, "yes, let's go out."

o0o0o

Hinata insisted they go to a restaurant Killer B had suggested earlier in their stay. Sasuke hadn't been particularly fond of the idea since he was certain it was a place the jinchuuriki frequented, so the atmosphere must have suited his eccentric needs.

He was...sort of right.

The entire restaurant was dimly lit with candles in holders shaped like the country's symbol. Most of the tables were small and round with cloths ranging from black and gold. The walls were made of smooth dark rock, the floors of a paler mineral, and jagged chandeliers constructed of lightening bolt fixtures hung over every third table. At the front of the restaurant was a small stage where a band played low, calming music that enchanted the entire establishment.

Before being seated, they were asked what village they hailed from because they certainly weren't from Kumo. Hinata told them they were from Konoha and mentioned they were friends with B. The hostess immediately perked up, as if waiting for them, and gave them a balcony location on the upper level of the restaurant. The upper level held three tables with cream cloths shimmering with black covering them. Tall, slim candles were placed upon the tables, and an intricate bowl containing dark and gold crystals decorated them. A double glassed door led to the outside where another balcony overlooked the Kumo area.

It was very fortuitous he let Hinata pick where to eat.

"I'm surprised," Sasuke said.

Hinata looked up, a small smile directed at what they overlooked now directed at him. "About what?"

"Didn't think Kumo could produce a place like this."

Hinata hummed softly, looking back down at the scene below them. Sasuke watched her, somehow overwhelmed by this moment.

Was this a sign?

Should he do it now?

It would certainly be a surprise, and the atmosphere was more than what he could have hoped for. He could propose right here—right now.

He pressed his lips together, exhaling quietly, and reached into his pocket.

"It's funny," Hinata said, still staring down below. "I've been to Kumo with my team a few times, and it always put me on edge." She looked at Sasuke. "I don't remember being kidnapped, but I remember the fear I felt when I was told about it. Ever since, the people of Kumo were always a sensitive subject for me. I thought they were out to hurt people—especially my clan." She smiled, saddened, and looked away. "It's funny not to feel that way anymore, and it's... Um, excuse me."

Sasuke watched as she got up and walked off somewhere. Judging by her expression, she probably needed to calm herself in the restroom. He relaxed, withdrawing his hand from his pocket, and sighed. He forgot to be practical again. Why would being proposed here—in this village—be even slightly romantic for her? This was all bad timing.

He wouldn't do it here.

He'd wait until they were back in Konoha and try to do it right. He'd take her to the Uchiha district and express how he'd like to start a fresh life with her. Maybe he could take her to a restaurant even better than here and arrange to have the ring brought in an enclosed platter she'd insist she didn't order. Or he could even get in touch with some caterers and ask Ino for a favor and have their apartment lined with flowers with a meal waiting for Hinata after sending her on some time-consuming errand.

Or maybe he could, for once, properly convey how much she meant to him.

Whatever he decided, he'd do it right.

"Sorry about that." Hinata smiled, sitting back in place.

Sasuke shook his head, sitting up. "Don't worry about it. What are you ordering?"

o0o0o

Forty-five minutes of eating and conversation almost had Sasuke forgetting they were on a mission. He was able to relax and focus on Hinata, and he liked the focus he was receiving as well.

They didn't go out much, and, when they did, there wasn't any place like this to go to back home. Maybe if he searched all of the Land of Fire he could find something similar, but he had a hard time believing this place could be topped.

After their plates were taken up and they had paid, Sasuke was curious as to why Hinata did not seem ready to leave. Her arms were crossed on the table, and she stared intently at the candle's flame. Despite her void expression, she was lost in thought.

"Something wrong?"

Hinata looked up, her expression not changing. "No... It's just..." She looked away, her brows creasing slightly. "We've been together a long time, Sasuke... Honestly, it doesn't feel that long, but, when I really think about it, this is longer...than I ever intended."

Sasuke listened quietly.

She leaned forward, gesturing for his hands and lightly squeezing them when he acquiesced. "When we first met, I didn't particularly like you. I didn't like the way you never smiled, and I didn't like how you didn't say much. I thought it was very stubborn of you to not get to know any of us, but then...you started popping up more on days I agreed to see Naruto or Sakura, and things just...changed." She laughed. "Your weird way of getting to know me."

Sasuke smirked, but the memory had him fidgeting. He wished he could tell his younger self to just approach her on his own.

Hinata sighed. "Eight years... We've changed so much in that time. You've opened up more."

"And you."

She smiled but looked down. "Sasuke... I'm...very sorry, but...I want things to change."

Sasuke's throat went dry, stomach dropping. Was she breaking up with him? Was she breaking up with him because she thought this was the extent of their relationship—because this was it and they wouldn't progress to more?

But they could.

He wanted to.

He tried pulling his hand away. "Hinata-"

"Just a moment. If I... I really need to say this, so please just listen."

He waited, bracing himself.

"Sasuke," Hinata began, looking him head on, "when I realized I had fallen in love with you, I honestly didn't think you would ever know it. I didn't think we would go far in a relationship, and I was terrified of getting hurt by you." She struggled to keep a smile. "But now I'm terrified of what I'm about to say next because...you're fine with the way we are."

He held his breath.

Hinata closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath before opening them again. "I love you, Sasuke. I love you more than I can ever express, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Sasuke had a hard time remembering when he last saw her turn completely red, but it was the first time her distress over it twisted his heart. As she withdrew one hand to reach into her pocket, her distress heightened, and he wanted to tell her to stop speaking—to deal with it later—to not take whatever she was about to say too seriously-

"Will you marry me?"

Sasuke stared at Hinata, her eyes shimmering and glazed, but he didn't see tears. He felt like he should say something, but Hinata was shaking. He looked down.

She was holding a silver ring.

A ring...?

A ring.

She just...

Sasuke sat back in his chair, pulling his hand from hers.

Hinata was immediately washed over with humiliation. Sasuke wasn't facing her anymore, and he had one hand tangled in his hair. Her heart was sinking, and, the more he didn't say anything, the more the aching in her chest and the queasiness in her stomach amplified.

"Sasuke..." Her throat tightened, and she wasn't sure what she was going to say. If she apologized, she wasn't sure what it would be for. Everything she said was true, so she wouldn't be sorry for that, so what did this mean then? If he didn't want to marry her, then-

"Okay."

Hinata blinked, eyes wet, and looked across the table. Sasuke's cheeks were engulfed with color, his gaze unsteady, and he was shaking by the slightest degree. She realized his arm was extended across the table, and, when she looked down, a small dark box was pushed her way, presenting a silver ring with small diamonds encrusted into it. White eyes snapped back to him, heart a train-wreck in her chest.

"You beat me to it," he said.

Hinata got up, her chair nearly falling over, and rushed to Sasuke, embracing him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her, head to her chest, squeezing her tighter, and a eruption of surrealism and euphoria coursed through his body without signs of letting up. It was too much emotion all at once, and it was making him delirious to even sort out why they had erupted in the first place.

She proposed...

Hinata proposed.

To HIM!

She was laughing, tears falling freely the more she noticed them. She was relieved and surprised and skeptical all at the same time, and she prayed this moment wasn't fake. The image of Sasuke's flustered demeanor replayed in her mind again and again, and she laughed more, falling more in love with him the longer he held onto her, as emotional as she was.

"Thank you," Sasuke whispered, voice hoarse. "Thank you."

Present Day

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably, attempting to clear his throat but it was painfully dry.

They all stared at him, wide eyed, bodies frozen in place. Maybe it would have been better if he let Kiba tell it. Hinata must have made it sound way better than he did, but maybe he wanted to make it known that he had planned to do something that night.

Still... The stares weren't helping.

"She...proposed to you?" Kiba said, breaking the silence.

Sasuke's heart nearly burst. "You said she told you."

"She told us how you proposed," Shino clarified.

"How you were blushin' and junk, but she proposed first?!"

Naruto yelled, hysterical with realization and grabbing the Uchiha's hand. "Holy sh-! SHE gave you this ring!"

Crap.

The questions came flying one after the other. They wanted to know more about how he felt—how he didn't know it was coming—why he would keep that a secret—and he realized he really shouldn't have said anything. He could feel his cheeks burning because they didn't need to know all that!

"Is that the legendary blush?" Shikamaru pointed out.

The Uchiha was crowded the next second, curious eyes observing him as if it would disappear if they so much as blinked.

"You really are-!"

Sasuke was out of his seat before Naruto could finish and burst out of the ramen shop, but stopped short of colliding with Hinata.

"Oh!" She said, hands on his chest to steady herself. " Sasuke-"

"Saaaaaaasukeeeeeee!" Ino exclaimed as she, Tenten, and Sakura crowded around the bride-to-be. "We heard about your flustered proposal!"

"Ah," Hinata looked at him, "I told them how you-"

"You told them lies!" Kiba yelled, bursting through the stand.

Hinata looked at him incredulously. "What do you-"

"YOU proposed!" Naruto yelled as he and the other occupants emerged as well.

"You proposed?" Sakura said to the heiress.

"Ring and all!" Kiba confirmed, presenting the Uchiha's hand for all the world to see. "Ring—and—all!"

And then the questions were thrown around one after the other. Everyone wanted to see their rings and know when they bought them—how long they waited to do this—and what the other thought of it. They wanted to hear each version again, and they wanted to know why they both picked Kumo.

Sasuke and Hinata endured the questions, briefly looking at each other before becoming red faced and fidgety, but they both wouldn't mind reliving the moment.

See you soon!