"Hey Karin, you notice Naruto has been different the last few months?" Misaki asked as she handed the couple before her the change from their bill. For god knows what reason Naruto had been different ever since valentines day. He had lightened up, smiled a tiny bit more often though it was still once in a blue moon and was generally nice to people without being a complete tool faking it like before. Sure he still picked and chose when he spoke keeping up the general mysterious air about him but overall there was a marked difference.

From down the bar Karin smirked unseen to herself as she chuckled silently. She had indeed seen their moody and angsty pianist become a new man before her very eyes. It was subtle at first but she had seen it blossom with a watchful eye. Coming in a little earlier, doing partial setup of the tables before they got there to prepare for a shift by himself- it was all small things but he might as well have been dropping an atom bomb on them. "Hmm? You say something Misaki? I was lost in my own thoughts" she said with a perfectly innocent look on her face as she took the bill for a couple of shots she just poured a customer.

Misaki pouted cutely and glared. "Naruto, hes acting so very different. Its kinda creepy really. I mean its helped business but him being this nice is...unnatural" she said. "Surprising and welcome but unnatural. Personally I think hes either gotten on some medication or he.."

"Could be right behind you highly intrigued about your theories behind his surprising and welcome but unnatural good mood." Naruto snickered as Misaki yelped in surprise and nearly jumped out of her skin. "Cranberry juice and soda water if you could be so kind Karin." Taking the glass with a two finger salute he left a five on the countertop before slipping away back to the piano. The mysterious tiny smirk tugging at the corner of his lips quirked seeing Misaki gape in shock. He had to admit that all the time Kin and Tayuya spent with him did wonders for his mood. Unlike what they had expected she become pregnant shortly after the first attempt to the women the child they always wanted. Then he surprised them by going to every doctor appointment they allowed and had most of the nursery set up already in their home.

"You sneaky little witch" Misaki accused with a glare at her snickering co-worker. "You saw him coming and didn't warn me! Not cool!" She flailed her arms comically making Karin snicker harder. "This is not funny!"

Once under control Karin wiped a tear from her cheek from laughing so hard. "I disagree. Its bloody hillarious" she said unable to contain her grin. "Besides, this isn't the same Naruto from before. His humor is much lighter and he looked amused at your outlandish idea. Personally if you waünt my opinion" she leaned forward once she reached her friend and nipped her ear drawing out an 'eep!' and a blush from Misaki "I think he found someone or something to inspire his love of life once more. Hes happy when those two women come in so often. You know, the married lesbian couple that has the pregnant ravenette and the redhead who calls Naruto a shithead. Maybe the three of them worked out an arrangement like we did." She winked playfully with a seductive undertone and drew back.

"My mom might own the place but try not to get us fired please" Misaki whined despite the shiver racing down her spine. She absolutely loved it when Karin spoke like that, it made her putty in the other womans hands but at work she tried to keep a facade of some professionalism even if it was hard to do with Karin around. "Besides, like you said they're lesbians so what arrangement could they work out? He watches cause they like an audience? Naruto isn't that basic." She scoffed and rappes her knuckles on Karins head like a mother scolding her child.

"Then explain why, I kid you not, the pregnant raven haired one whenever they leave leans in and kisses him like one would their significant other? Theres some kinda sexual arrangement I tell ya" Karin said half scowling half pouting at Misaki. Sometimes her girlfriend was a bit too naive and dense. "And I also kid you not the redhead looks a little jealous sometimes too when they do like she wants to as well."

Misaki shook her head and rapped Karins head again. "You read too much into it" she said with a dismissive wave. "The redhead is his cousin so I doubt she wants that from him."

"Incest is frowned upon but its not illegal here remember? I mean come on, Naruto is hot and I'm not afraid to say it even knowing I love you Misaki. Not really my type since I prefer soft curves over defined masculine muscle obviously but I mean most women will say hes hot. Ever heard of kissing cousins? Its not a stretch to think there are cousins out there are sexually involved" Karin said with a painted nail poked into the blondes side.

Misaki glared cutely again and sighed. Of course she was aware of incest being technically legal and frowned upon but that didn't mean she supported the idea. "Everyone knows it. Still doesn't make the idea.. right to me" she said with a look that wasn't quite disgust or disapproving but neither was it approving either. Perhaps it was her christian upbringing talking in that regard.

Karin rolled her eyes and jammed a finger in the blondes side in retalliation. "Do you want the old angsty snappy Naruto that bit off everyones head or do you want this new Naruto that has a good sense of humor and is actually nice to people? Because I honestly prefer this new Naruto. Like you said its been good for business, hes happier than I've ever seen him and quite frankly I think theres something else afoot concerning those three. I mean why else would they be so comfortable and affectionate with each other" she said pointedly.

"Alright I give! Save the rough stuff for our bedroom" Misaki said with a huff. Leaving Karin with her smug victorious smirk the blonde headed to the stock room to grab a new bottle of Jameson to put on the display. Absorbed in a random thought she was startled by Narutos panicked tone that filled the lounge. Just as she got back into the she saw her mother looking in Narutos direction as a cab sped off. "What the hell was that about and where is he going?"

Karin grinned at Misaki as she came up behind her girlfriend. "Remember how I said there was something afoot with Naruto and that couple? Well, from his hurried explanation before your mom told him to scoot he said that his daughter is on her way into the world" she said with an amused and satisfied tone as Misakis eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"D-daughter?!"

"Mhmm."

-at the hospital after Kin gives birth-

Naruto hummed softly as he cradled his daughter in his arms, a small serene smile on his lips. Between the wisps of black hair and pale complexion she looked the spitting of her mother. While Kin was resting in the bed wrapped in Tayuyas embrace he ignored their warm gaze on them as he focused solely on the little angel in his arms. His eyes drifted to the clock for a moment and blinked in surprise. 'Just after midnight...Talk about a christmas gift to remember' he thought as his smile grew a little more and he kissed his daughters forehead softly as she slept.

"We still need to name her. Well, finish her name" Tayuya said with a soft chuckle bringing both her wife and cousins gaze to her.

Kin shifted her gaze to Naruto and smiled softly. "I think I'll leave it to daddy dearest to name his angel" she teased with a tired laugh. God was she sore and tired but seeing the beautiful baby girl cradled in Narutos arms so protectively she would do it again in a heartbeat. To see the light in his eyes and the tenderness she knew dwelled in his heart once more she would endure the agonizing labor a hundred times over, metaphorically speaking. Almost ten hours of labor was brutal on her pain tolerance even with the stuff they gave her to help dull some of the pain.

"Hinata Noelle" Naruto said as his gaze glazed over for a moment as he raised the small child up and nuzzled her lovingly as she slept. "Daddy will always protect you angel. Come hell or high water I will always protect you."

Tayuyas eyes softened almost to the verge of her eyes tearing up. Seeing Naruto so open and vulnerable as he bared his soul to his newborn daughter was something she was certain most people would say was just shy of a religious experience. Inside the room they might as well have been in their own world and Naruto, for all intents and purposes, stood alone as the benevolent god showering his undivided love on his first angel; his first and favored creation an absent thought her mind supplied remembering a half paid attention sermon regarding the Christian God and his creation of the archangels before he made humans.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful child." Kushina smiled softly from the doorway seeing all three sets of eyes turn to her. "You didn't think I didn't know did you? For shame on you all." She scoffed softly and entered the room closing the door behind her.

Naruto cradled his daughter closer to his chest instinctively as she made soft noises in her sleep. He hadn't told anyone about his little arrangement with his cousin or Kin. He knew they had kept it secret as well so how had his mother found out? On the edges of his peripheries he saw a similar look on Kin and Tayuyas faces. "How did you know?" he asked after a long minute as his mother sat herself on the edge of the bed.

"Womans intuition" Kushina said with a mysterious smile. "And you three need to work on your subtlety. May I hold my granddaughter?" She saw Naruto look calculating down to sleeping Hinata before she adjusted her arms to cradle the blanket wrapped infant. "She truly is beautiful you know." The soft glow in her eyes was noticeable in the room as she ran a finger across the babies cheek gently.

"She is her mothers daughter after all" Naruto said leaning against the wall. He was halfway dead on his feet as he resisted the urge to yawn.

"And her fathers" Kin countered with a sleepy look that barely counted as a glare.

"Enough you two. Before you wake her up" Tayuya admonished the pair. "We all agree shes beautiful. It doesnt matter who she gets it from."

"So when were you three going to tell us if I hadn't already known?" Kushina asked rocking Hinata gently in her arms.

This was supposed to be a xmas day post but family shit and yea. Might as well end on fluff