The SEAL'S Kiss
Celestia193's Authors Note: Warning for crack, lots of it, along with baby pictures and scheming papas.
Chapter 4
Sasuke figured that sooner or later, Naruto would do something stupid to embarrass him, despite the fact that they were supposed to be acting professionally. But he had really been hoping that it would be later, instead of just a few weeks into their new assignment. "Don't you fucking dare, Dobe." There was no way that Naruto was showing those damn pictures to Emiko and Hinata. He knew what women were like as soon as you gave them pictures of you as a kid, or worse, a teenager, or at the absolute worst, baby photos, all they would do is coo over you.
It was hard to resist the urge to ignore duty for a bit and clock the idiot, or rolls around on the floor to wrestle the phone away from him. Sasuke didn't even know HOW Naruto still had those pictures, since he was pretty sure he'd wiped everything from high school out of existence. The last thing they needed was to see pictures of his lunch period naps in eleventh grade, or the ones from track in tenth grade, or the basketball ones in senior year.
So, how the hell was he supposed to get Naruto to hand over the damn phone without starting a fight in the middle of Hinata's office? Even if Hinata was insisting that they get to know each other better, beyond their taste in food, he did NOT need her seeing those pictures.
Naruto laughs and shakes his head. "You're such a big baby about this sort of stuff." He smirks and hits SEND. "There now, they'll known a lot more about you. All the way from Baby Sasuke to High School Sasuke!"
Sasuke's eyes widen in horror. Naruto had EVERYTHING!? "You IDIOT! And you call ME a bastard!?" If it wasn't for the fact that they still had to watch the two women in the room, he would drag Naruto off and give him a thorough disciplining.
Emiko laughs softly at the two young men as the email and files appear in her daughter's inbox. "I wonder what Sasuke is so worked up about?"
"I'm not sure." She pauses, almost afraid to look but opens the emails. "That's adorable!" Hinata smiles at Sasuke. "You had the cutest bubble eyes when you were a baby."
"I did NOT have bubble eyes!" Cute!? Seriously!? They were calling him cute!? Sasuke shakes his head, silently imploring them not to look at any more.
Hinata giggles, positively delighted at the discovery. "Yes, you did." She smiles teasingly at him. "And they were absolutely adorable."
Emiko swipes the mouse from her daughter, perfectly content to relax for a little. The two of them had been working non-stop on the upcoming charity ball, and a little bit of a break could be just what they needed. She flicks through a few pictures, before coming across a rather sweet one of a sixteen year-old Sasuke, fast asleep with long bangs fluttering over his face, and quite an impressive array of utterly gravity-defying spikes. "Oh…such a handsome young man. Though…perhaps a little too fond of hair-spray?"
The bluenette looks the photo with her mother. "That's not hair-spray. It's too soft." That and Sasuke didn't strike her as the sort of man who used hair-spray.
Sasuke's mouth twitches. Great, they had found one of the greatest examples of the 'Duck's Ass' as Naruto used to call it. "It does that on its own if it's long enough. And contrary to anything this IDIOT says…" He glares at the grinning blue-eyed SEAL. "I did not use gel, hair-spray, hair wax, or anything else to make it stick up like that."
"Yeah. It drove the high school girls wild though." Naruto laughs and shakes his head. "I don't know why the Duck Butt Hair was so popular, but it was." He probably shouldn't say Duck Ass in front the First Lady and First Daughter, Naruto decides.
"Not to mention the middle school girls…" Naruto did have that point right. For some reason, the girls had liked it, as much as Sasuke had hated that fact.
Emiko eyes Sasuke for a second before smiling. "A shame." In the pictures, he looked so much more like Mikoto. Especially as she flicks through a few more pictures, her eye widening as a smile blossoms all across her face. "You never mentioned that you had taken Latin Dance classes." She'd asked him last week if he knew any ballroom dancing, and he'd said yes, but this picture… Well, the pitch black pants and silky ruby shirt were certainly eye-catching. "Hinata, look!"
"Mother, we should probably stop embarrassing him." Hinata shoots him an apologetic look and then curiosity gets the better of her. "...I really don't get what you're embarrassed about." As always, he looked amazing. Perhaps even more so than usual.
This couldn't possibly be happening. Sasuke's cheekbones flush a very light shade of pink as he glares at his best friend. "…You got those pictures from Itachi, didn't you?" His brother was the only person he could think of who would have all of these pictures backed up to the umpteenth degree. Blackmail material, of course.
Naruto laughs and nods. "Oh yeah! And they're great!" Sasuke was probably going to punch him later, but it was so worth it.
Then the damage was already done. They would have literally every embarrassing picture of him from birth, all the way to graduation day. Sasuke grumbles quietly, sitting down on the couch with his laptop to sulk.
Emiko, however, was fascinated by Sasuke's dancing pictures. The young man had seemed graceful, of course, but these were exceptional, even by her standards. Likely even by her husband's standards as well. He could easily have competed, with ability like this. She laughs quietly into her daughter's ear. "Well, Hinata, I suppose that you'll be able to find a capable dance partner for the charity ball, at the very least."
Hinata blushes a deep shade of red at that. "I'm not going to m-make him dance on duty." She whispers as quietly as possible, not wanting to embarrass him further.
"Why not? I'm sure that if you ask him nicely, he'll agree." That, and Emiko was fairly certain that Sasuke would do it anyway, since he seemed loathed to be more than twenty feet from Hinata at all times. The young man took his job quite seriously.
"He doesn't seem to like it too much." Her blush was probably redder than Hanabi's favorite pair of heels at this point. "So I d-don't want to force him." She really hoped that Sasuke was too embarrassed to notice her blush.
Emiko glances at the pictures again, smiling at the sight. "I don't believe so…but I would advise you to at least ask him at the ball. Maybe he might humor you." She was fairly certain that the young man was simply embarrassed because it might be construed as a very feminine thing to do, and he didn't want the image that the two of them had of him to be softened in such a way.
Naruto tilts his head. "Sasuke, Hinata is blushing a lot. Do you think that Itachi included something from the navy academy?" The closest thing to university days they had.
"Maybe…" Sasuke notes the blush all over Hinata's face. It was an attractive color on her. "But there's not a whole lot of photos from back then." He'd avoided cameras like the plague after high school. Mostly because he didn't want anyone to get that kind of ammunition.
"I didn't see anything too embarrassing, but she's pretty shy." For all Naruto knew, Hinata might blush over a photo of someone at the beach.
Sasuke groans and turns over onto his stomach, opening up some files on his laptop to distract himself with. "Just get back to work, Naruto. We're supposed to be protecting them, not reminiscing."
He laughs. "We're protecting them and reminiscing at the same time." He was fully capable of multitasking!
"Just get back to work." Sasuke glares at the blond, not entirely ignoring the two women at the desk. "I still have to do background checks on a quarter of the list of the invitees to the charity ball this weekend. So make yourself useful and look at security tapes of the venue and pick out all of the danger spots."
"Don't mind him." Naruto shakes his head. "He's usually grumpy." In his opinion, Sasuke really, REALLY needed a girlfriend.
"Naruto, for the last time, less talking, more working." Sasuke shoots him a cold, serious glare. "Our job is to keep people alive here. You've had your fun, now do what you're supposed to do."
Naruto grumbles and goes back into serious mode. Yeah. He so needed a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend. Or maybe he just needed some help from his team again in order to relax. He chuckles at the thought. As Sakura had said, it was an open invitation. Sasuke was…special, and that's why Naruto always got so much pleasure out of teasing him.
Two hours…that's how long it took for Emiko and Naruto to return to the other office. And Sasuke was fairly certain that it was the longest two hours in his entire life. Well, save for this one time involving particularly difficult underwater training. Now THAT was a long and anxiety-inducing couple of hours.
Still, he couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief when the two of them finally disappeared from sight towards the end of the morning. But he was pretty sure that by then, they'd seen every damn photo in the collection. Fortunately, it seemed that those few from the academy, training, and on tour were absent. Sasuke kept those ones locked up fairly tight.
Teasing Sasuke was fun. It was probably too much fun really. In all honesty, making the SEAL squirm like that should probably be illegal, but Hinata was glad that it wasn't.
"I'm sorry about earlier." She smiles at Sasuke. "Hopefully, lunch with my friend will be less traumatic for you." Though it would be a miracle if Ino didn't try to frisk the SEAL under the table, if he sat with them. "You might want to get a different table though. If you sit with the President's daughter the media will be all over you." And so would a certain former cheerleader...
"I know how to be discreet." On the other hand, Naruto most certainly DIDN'T. Sasuke, though, he could be more professional than that. "Ino, right?" He'd remembered the name from her schedule. "Ino Yamanaka, Japanese-America, blond for some reason. Former cheerleader. Her family owns a large chain of flower shops, but she's now working as a stylist. The two of you went to high school together, middle school, and elementary school." He'd been doing his research while they rest of them were cooing or laughing at the pictures.
Hinata blinks. Sasuke was a little scary sometimes. "What you aren't going to list shoe size, blood type, and measurements as well?" She was almost afraid to ask what he had looked up about HER. Oh God, what if he saw the ridiculous haircut she had sported until high school?! Noooo!
"Size eight, blood type is B positive, and I have no interest in looking up the size of her cheerleading outfit." Though if he had to guess, Sasuke would put the cheerleasder somewhere between petite, and a medium frame. "And her birthday is September twenty-third."
"I'm kinda regretting teasing you about your bubble eyes now." Sheesh. He already looked up all that?! "Um right. So as you know, she's the blond." Hinata pauses as she tries to feel less terrified of his amazing internet searching abilities. "We probably won't be more than an hour or two."
"That's fine." He frowns as he closes up his laptop. "Though you might want to advise your friend that posting EVERYTHING about herself on social media is probably a bad idea." Not that he used it himself, but there was plenty that could be learned about a person through looking at what they put online.
She nods in understanding. "Oh believe me, I have tried." Ino was Ino though. "She's just very stubborn."
"Oh, believe me…I know what stubborn means." Sasuke shakes his head as he opens the door for Hinata. "Naruto insists on having his pages as well, puts every picture he takes on there." Not that Naruto took any compromising pictures, that was against the rules. But every harmless picture he took ended up on the internet eventually. "I've had to delete things from Naruto's pages before." Mostly because they were just straight up embarrassing. He did NOT want any pictures of himself on there from any of their clubbing time while on leave.
"Yes, Naruto does seem the rather determined sort." Hinata giggles as hey leave her office behind, Sasuke remaining constant by her side as they leave the foundation's headquarters and join the hustle and bustle of the city at lunchtime.
She and Ino had arranged to meet at a little cafe a ten minute walk from Hinata's office. It was closer to the salon Ino worked at, so it was perfect for the two women who often had strict appointments to keep. As well as for a certain naval officer who risked getting a little restless if all he did was sit around all day doing research and paperwork.
Spotting Ino from a distance, Hinata smiles at Sasuke, letting him get a comfortable distance between the two of them as she enters the cafe first and joins her friend. "Hey, Ino. Sorry to keep you waiting." Hopefully, she wouldn't notice Sasuke. That way the bluenette wouldn't get interrogated, but...well Hinata had never had the best luck.
Ino's eyes flicker to the man walking in behind Hinata, frowning ever so slightly when he chooses a different table. "So…who's the hottie who walked in right after you, Hinata?" They were way too close together for it to be a coincidence. Plus, she'd seen them together through the window of the cafe.
"That's Sasuke." Hinata's voice was so low now that it barely qualified as a ghost of a whisper. "You can look, but you can't touch." She didn't want to be overheard. The bluenette didn't want to blow his cover. "He's my bodyguard."
"Bodyguard, huh…?" Ino's gaze flickers back to the gorgeous man across the room. "Shame, he could be a model. Are you dating him?"
Hinata nods. Yep. He was her bodyguard. "Yes, he's my bodyguard and yes, he could." Well two out of three wasn't bad, she supposed. Most major league pitchers would have loved to have Ino's batting average. "And no." She could only hope that against all odds, she wasn't blushing.
"Hm…has he got a girlfriend?" Ino smiles at the man whose eyes flick towards her, pairing it with a seductive wink.
"I don't think so..." Naruto wouldn't be teasing him about needing one, if he had one. Right? "Though I don't really think that he's your type. Sasuke is very...serious." Unless the SEAL was just really, really sneaky and Naruto didn't know about Sasuke's girlfriend, if he had one.
"You sure? I'm pretty flexible, you know." Still, even if he wasn't interested, that didn't mean that she couldn't ogle the eye candy even if he was rolling those deep, mysterious eyes at her. Then again, considering how attractive he was… "You think maybe he's got a boyfriend instead?" If he liked both…well, Ino could work with that.
Hinata sputters at that! "I-Ino!" Honestly! Where had she come up with that idea?! "I just met the guy a few weeks ago. He hasn't exactly told me...stuff like that yet." And he might never tell her. Revealing his romantic preferences wasn't exactly in the job description.
"Huh, so you haven't gotten around to playing twenty questions, huh?" Well, that was disappointing, but Ino knew that once Hinata knew, she'd be able to get answers easily enough. "Is he online?" She could just look him up herself if Hinata didn't know.
"I imagine he is, but I doubt he'd leave overly personal information on the web." He was serving under the President, after all. "He's military. They probably train them not to do that."
Ino giggles and shakes her head. "Even soldiers have social lives. So…military, huh? Marines? Army? Oh no, don't tell me he's in the Air Force?"
"Well that's true." Though Sasuke struck her as the sort who was very careful about that sort of thing. "None of those. He's a SEAL." Apparently, the leopard kind.
"Oh…navy, huh?" Ino shoots him another look, scrutinizing him a little more carefully. He looked pretty clean, even for military. "So I guess he's not following military dress code now, huh?" Not if those spikes were any indication, they looked a month or two grown out, and she doubted they wore much leather on a ship.
"Not anymore." Hinata shakes her head and smiles. "He's in the Secret Service now. So the dress code is laxer." She gives her friend a warning look. "He's supposed to blend in so casual clothes are a must now. That or at least not be in his navy uniform."
"Fair enough." Though Ino was certain that his uniform would look hot, there was something to be said for good leather and denim. "I definitely approve of the view. Is he going to be at the charity ball this weekend?"
Hinata nods at that. "He's my bodyguard." He kinda had to be. "Sasuke goes where I go most of the time."
"Then it looks like you've got your date all set." Ino grins widely. "Come by beforehand and I'll make sure to glam you all up for the evening, okay!?" You could never look too good at a ball.
"Well he's not exactly may date, but okay." There was no reason not to dress up. In fact, it was kinda mandatory. "Just remember, it's a Charity Ball. Not a Sorority Party."
"Alright!" Ino laughs, shooting the silent bodyguard another look as their food arrives, Ino having ordered their usual before Hinata arrived. "I'll make sure that your SEAL has plenty to look at."
Her SEAL? Sasuke wasn't hers. "Well he's not really my SEAL. He's just my bodyguard." It wasn't like they were dating or anything. "I do appreciate it though."
"Not yet, he's not. But if you really don't want him, then maybe I'll try my luck?" Tucking into her meal, images flash through Ino's head, making plans for what to do with coordinating her hair and outfit for the charity ball.
"That's such a trick question." Hinata bites her lower lip as she looks at Sasuke. "No matter what I say I can't win." She was attracted to him and she did want him as Ino might say, but it wasn't professional. Eventually, she'd build up an immunity to whatever gravitational pull he seemed to exert on her. "Anyway, what did you have in mind for the ball?"
Well at least that's what she was hoping. Besides, the odds that Sasuke would be interested were lower. And the odds that he would be willing to overlook his professionalism to date her were almost impossible. Despite all of that though, she really didn't want her friend to make a serious move on him. What if Sasuke did decide he preferred the bubbly blond?
"Well, you guys are focusing your efforts in South and Central America right now, right? So I was thinking fun, colorful, perky. Something pretty that you might see at Carneval." Ino could just imagine the bright reds, oranges, and blues of the dress. "I've got the perfect outfit in mind, but you're going to have to promise not to pick at your hair, okay?"
She nods. That was right. They were focusing on Latin America, particularly Haiti. "Carneval? That sounds nice." Hinata smiles at the thought of all the beautiful colors that would likely entail wearing. "And I'll try my best not to pick at my hair."
"Perfect!" Ino claps her hands together eagerly after downing the last of her sandwich. "I'll get started on the outfit, and you can come by Saturday afternoon before the ball to let me dress you up. It's a date!"
"Alright. I'll stop by." Hinata wasn't entirely sure if Ino meant it was a date to get a makeover or if the blond was talking about her and Sasuke. "Thank you." Either way, well she really did need to get her hair done and find a dress for the ball. So perhaps, it didn't matter.
"No problem!" Ino's eyes glitter at the prospect of dressing up her friend. It was always fun to dress Hinata up, her friend was beautiful, and the rest of the world should SEE it, instead of letting her hide like a wallflower. And what better way to show her off than to put her in bright, unmissable colors? "I'll see you Saturday, then." She hands some money to the waitress when she returns, getting up from the table and patting Hinata on the shoulder. "Oh, and introduce us properly next time. If I'm going to be admiring the view, I'd rather have it clear and close up."
The bluenette sighs and shakes her head. "Alright, I'll see you then and introduce the two of you." She just hoped her SEAL didn't react too harshly towards Ino's flirtatious nature. That would be a disaster.
When Ino is safely out of sight, and his tomato salad finished, Sasuke discreetly makes his way over to his rather flustered charge. "Is everything alright?" He hadn't seen anything particularly alarming, just some familiar interaction between two old friends. One of whom was rather insistent on trying to flirt with him from a distance.
"Oh yes, everything is fine." She smiles at him. "Ino and I were just discussing the charity ball and she's really looking forward to meeting you." That was putting it mildly, but Hinata didn't feel comfortable going into the details of such things.
"Yes, I could tell." Sasuke smirks slightly. "Your friend is not subtle, to say the least. Are you ready to go?"
She nods shyly. "Yes, I'm ready." Hinata shakes her head. "You must get that all the time though."
"Yes, whenever I'm on leave, it's largely the same thing." Sasuke knew perfectly well why, not that he gave out indications that he was interested at all, but he digressed. People just really liked looking at him. "It doesn't happen much on duty." Or at least, it didn't used to, but that was just something he as going to have to get used to again.
"So were you planning on dancing at the ball?" Hinata looks at him. "Mother and Ino are planning on encouraging you to do so." She knew her question was sudden, but she didn't know how to remark on the topic of his looks further without looking like a clumsy schoolgirl.
"Well, it's my job to stay within a certain distance of you at all times, so I assume that I'll be required to." Not that he really had a problem with it, just with people he knew watching him dance. "I won't have any problems dancing, if that's what you're asking. I do know how."
She nods at that. "I know that you know how. What I don't know is, if you like it or not." That was another matter entirely from the mechanics of the action.
Sasuke frowns, eyes darting around once before motioning with his head towards the door. "Come on, let's head back."
"Sounds good." She places her money down and quickly follows him. "Thanks for being so understanding about the whole Ino undressing you with her eyes, thing." Hinata giggles.
"I'm pretty sure that she was thinking a lot more than that." Sasuke shakes his head, keeping his eyes on the street as they walk down the streets that lead back to the foundation. "As for your earlier question, it depends. I don't like dancing when my friends or my brother are teasing me about it. Apart from that…I suppose it depends entirely on the partner."
It must have been Ino's influence, but the words left her mouth before Hinata had even realized she voiced them. "Are we still talking about dancing because that last part could be applied to just about anything." She blushes at her own outrageousness.
"I suppose it could." Despite his serious expression, Sasuke's eyes dance with amusement. "Yes, and…also, yes. Many things depend entirely on the partner."
She nods dumbly in agreement. Thankfully, Sasuke had taken the obvious innuendo in stride.
Hiashi shakes his head as he sits down in Fugaku's office. Arguably, it was one of the safest places he could be. Which given the current situation was something that he was very concerned about. After all, someone had tried to assassinate him (and most likely the other people who had been at that dinner).
"Your son's team seem to be settling into their new roles well." He pauses, unsure of how to proceed. "Particularly, Sasuke." Delicately seemed the best way. It could be nothing at all, but it could also be something. And in that case, it was his duty to speak to Fugaku about the potential situation, one father to another.
"Yes, they are." Fugaku's usually stern demeanor softens at the mention of his son. "It is good to see him more than once every year or two. Though he has been making liberal use of our databases here to ensure your daughter's safety." Which was putting it mildly. The director shakes his head. "He's run more background checks in the last month than most of my agents do in their entire careers."
Hiashi chuckles at that thought. "Well I'm glad to hear that and it's perfectly understandable given the circumstances of how he became a Secret Service agent." An almost assassination.
"Yes, but I do worry he'll take to overworking himself." Fugaku wasn't blind. He knew exactly where Sasuke got that habit from. Though it was obvious that Hiashi was here for a reason, Fugaku would make small talk until Hiashi felt the need to address it. "Though I suspect that Hanabi is learning quite the lesson in learning how to be independent." Sakura wasn't the type to tolerate someone who refused to pull their own weight, and the model was truly a diva. A terrible combination, or potentially the best possible situation for Hanabi, even if it didn't look like it.
"I do have some concerns that Sakura's more...practical nature might clash with Hanabi's more fanciful one." That was putting it mildly. Hiashi didn't know Sakura well, but he knew that she was the only female SEAL and that spoke volumes. "Though that's not my primary concern at the moment." The President knew that he shouldn't assume things, but it was likely that a woman like that would despise stereotypically feminine things such as make up and dresses. He might have just assigned Sakura to her own version of Hell, really.
It seemed that the small talk was coming to a close. Fugaku nods, motioning for Hiashi to continue. "And your primary concern?"
He felt a little ridiculous for even bringing it up, given the dire situation that they were all now facing, but still he would press on. "Well Hinata is considerably shyer when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex than her sister, but I do believe that she is growing rather fond of Sasuke." He pauses as if unsure of how to say the next part. "On a more than platonic level. I may just be imagining things though." Still, it was better to broach the issue just to be on the safe side.
Fugaku blinks. That was all? "I assure you that my son has had many admirers, and more than a few have been infatuated with him over the years. Ever since he was a child. He has never had a habit of taking advantage of such things, if that is your concern."
"I'm not entirely certain if he is just being friendly, but it may be the case that the warm feelings are not entirely unrequited." Hiashi was sure that Sasuke had a lot of admirers, but this was different. This was his daughter!
"Really?" The director raises an eyebrow. "Well, I suppose that it would be good for Sasuke to take such an interest in someone outside of his team. But I doubt that those sorts of feelings would take root this quickly. Sasuke's emotions…tend to be either on the explosive side, or a very slow burn."
Hiashi pauses as he considers this. "Well I don't really know the boy, but he seems very at ease with her." If that was the case though, maybe he really imagining things. "It's probably nothing in that case."
"Unfortunate, your daughter seems like a rather nice young lady." And Fugaku wasn't getting any younger. Mikoto would likely be having grandbaby envy soon, and he as fairly certain that Itachi wasn't going to be having children any time soon. Sasuke didn't seem so inclined either.
"Yes, well he seems like a fine boy." Though he had certain obligations to meet. "Though as customary, I promise to make him wish he'd never been born if he upsets my daughter." He smiles pleasantly. "It's nothing personal. Though I imagine that it would be easier for you to relate if you had daughters instead of sons."
"Yes, it probably would." Fugaku chuckles at the thought. "Though I think Itachi may have beaten you to it. Many…many times."
"Well as they say, save the best for last." Hiashi was certain he could come up with something suitably traumatizing. "I'm glad we have an understanding." Though how could they really tell?
"Yes, and I'm sure that no matter what you try to do to Sasuke, should our wives see what you believe you see, and decide to meddle, that he will be able to handle himself." Fugaku smirks at the thought of Hiashi trying to intimidate his son. "Mikoto will surely make something of the sort part of her mission during the ball."
He blinks. Oh Dear Lord. "Fugaku, don't take this the wrong way, but your wife is utterly terrifying sometimes." He almost pitied Sasuke, if Emiko and Mikoto did indeed decide to conspire together.
"You say that as if yours isn't." Fugaku shakes his head at the rather horrified president. "Naruto informed me of the 'photos' incident earlier today. It seems that your wife is quite happy to scroll through pictures of Sasuke and embarrass him. Something about him having Bubble Eyes, and the 'Duck's Ass' as a child." Not that he could contest either of those points. Sasuke did take after his grandfather and great-uncle rather strongly.
"That's just the standard teasing that mothers do." Hiashi failed to see what was so terrifying. "It's not as though Emiko was an interrogator like Mikoto was."
Ah yes…Mikoto Uchiha could be a terror when she wanted to be. Still, all of this was theoretical in Fugaku's eyes. "Well, our wives, the threats, and the current…hypothetical situation aside, will you be encouraging or discouraging your daughter from this course of action?"
"I haven't decided yet." Sasuke had a job to do an important one at that. It wouldn't do to distract him. "What are your thoughts on the matter?" Still, it was rare to see Hinata take to anyone so quickly.
Fugaku sighs, sitting back in his chair. "Sasuke has always been rather professional about anything save for his teammates. The four of them have been together for years, so it's only to be expected. It would be good to see him open up to someone else. It could be good for your daughter as well. Sasuke's blood always has run on the hot side. The boy fights harder when he has something he wants to protect. Always has." It's how he and Naruto were ever since they could walk. Well, whenever the two weren't fighting with each other. "If only he weren't so stubborn."
Hiashi resists the impulse to snicker. "I can't imagine where he gets his hot-headedness and stubbornness from." The boy had been dealt with some interesting cards by the genetic lottery to say the least.
Fugaku's eyes narrow at the silent jab. "Well, I'm certain that your eldest daughter took after your wife more than your youngest did. Hanabi IS something of a diva, after all."
"Well every family has one member who...shines in a different way than the others." Hiashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly.
"Yes…one has to wonder where she inherited THAT from, seeing as your wife is the picture of accommodation." Hiashi could be a diva and he knew it, Fugaku wasn't going to let him say otherwise.
Hiashi rolls his eyes. "What are you trying to imply?" He was hardly the type to strut about for photoshoots.
"Nothing at all, Hiashi. Is there something that needs to be implied?" Fugaku raises a quizzical eyebrow.
"There is no need to beat around the bush, if you have something on your mind...say it." Hiashi snorts. Honestly. "Lest I have your wife interrogate you."
"You mean to say that you're unaware of your flair for the dramatic?" Fugaku doubted that. "Interesting, I'll add that to your file. And as for my wife's interrogation tactics, I have been on the receiving end of those for long enough that they no longer daunt me." His smirk grows a little, finding it impossible to resist the urge to tease Hiashi. "Though as one day we might find ourselves to be in-laws, perhaps twice over if your suspicions bear any fruit, I'm sure that you'll be subject to daily interrogations soon enough."
Hiashi raises an eyebrow. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I am not dramatic unless I'm giving a political speech." One had to be dramatic for those. "And I'll be certain to ensure that Mikoto knows her methods no longer daunt you." He smirks. That should show him.
"Oh believe me, she knows." Fugaku had told her so long ago. "And so, she has been on a decade long crusade to find something that will. She has, as of yet, not succeeded. Though I'm sure that Itachi will find himself in an uncomfortable position when Mikoto discovers just how fond he is of being attached to your nephew's hip."
"Well if all else fails, I suppose she'll just employ Emiko's favorite method of persuasion." The couch threat. It was enough to make even the President shudder. "I have been wondering about that as well. Is Itachi...well does he favor men over women?"
Fugaku sighs, shaking his head. "Some days, I'm honestly not sure myself. I know for a fact that they have both had relationships with women, but…neither Itachi or Sasuke seem adverse to choosing a man instead. It seems that the who is more important than the what. A romantic notion, one that I'm fairly certain they get from their grandfather. In any case, Neji does seem to be…special to Itachi."
He blinks at that. Itachi, Hiashi had half expected to find out he was bisexual or gay. "Ah well...equal opportunity, I suppose." Sasuke surprised him though.
Fugaku's eyebrow rises nearly into his hairline. "Is something wrong, Hiashi? You look like a deer in the headlights."
"No. Nothing's wrong, I'm just not certain if Itachi and Neji were ever to marry there are enough hair care products in the world to stock that house." It was surprising to say the least, but he had never really cared about such things. "They'll need a very big house as well to hold them all." Hiashi was just used to having a better sense for such things.
"While all of that is certainly true…I hope that you realize that after raising two very independent sons, I have a better 'Bullshit Radar' than that, Hiashi." Fugaku shakes his head. "It also comes with having married a CIA agent."
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." He shakes his head. "In any case, it would be prudent to determine if Hinata and Sasuke like each other before subjecting them to our plotting wives." He nods somberly. "It is the honorable thing to do."
"Yes, it is." Fugaku laces his fingers together, closing his eyes. "Doing that without earning Sasuke's ire is going to be the hard part. The boy can hold a grudge for an eternity if he wants to."
"And you say he takes after Mikoto." He chuckles. "It seems the boy does take after you as well."
The director holds up his hands. "I never denied it, he just takes after his mother much more than he takes after me. His…temper and stubbornness aside."
He laughs and shakes his head. "Well perhaps, we should divide and conqueror." It seemed the best tactic. "You can speak with Hinata. I'll speak with Sasuke." Hiashi pauses and clarifies. "They'd expecting their parents to meddle, but not an acquaintance."
"That should be doable." Fugaku frowns, before deciding on giving Hiashi a fair warning. "Try not to tease Sasuke about his dancing, though. There aren't many ways to set him off faster than that."
"Very well I shall avoid the topic of dancing all together." He promises his accomplice. "We should do this quickly or else our wives are going to meddle. Most likely before the charity ball."
Fugaku smirks. "Then I believe that immediately beforehand would be the best time to separate them. That way, Hinata will be safe, and Sasuke will be less likely to panic."
The President nods in agreement. "Executive Order Number 69 allows fathers the right to meddle in their children's love lives." He pauses an adds. "Of course, that one isn't listed...officially. It's there there though!"
"Of course, Sir." Fugaku chuckles at the man's unexpected enthusiasm. It seemed as though if the two of them had their way, their children finally WOULD have love lives, or at least less complicated ones.