An Indecent Proposal
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Notation: This takes place two weeks after the last chapter. Oh and yes, I fixed an unfortunate typo. Happy reading!
Chapter 10
"This one is beautiful!" Ino squeals in delight at her discovery.
Two weeks had passed since Nera was disowned by her Clan and in those fourteen days, a lot had happened. She had moved into Sasuke's District, they had informed their friends of their engagement, and right now she was in the middle of kimono shopping.
That's right. Nera Hyuga in the Leaf's finest clothing shop and looking for a suitable wedding kimono. That was certainly something that the Hyuga Prodigy had never thought she'd be doing, but it was true.
Her friends were with her. "That's got way too many flowers on it, Ino Pig." Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Tenten, and even Karin was there. "It's supposed to be a wedding kimono, not something she's going to wear on a date."
Karin's presence did surprise her for several reasons. The first of which was that she barely knew the red head. Secondly, Karin had romantic feelings for Sasuke. Nera wasn't entirely sure if those feelings should be described in the past or present tense either. Finally, well it just seemed odd to have her there.
"L-Let's not fight." Naturally, Hinata was doing her best to keep the peace.
It was an admirable effort, but Nera could see where this was going. They would be extremely lucky, if a fight didn't break out right in the middle of the shop!
What surprised her was when Tenten started weighing in. "Well I know that white is traditional, but maybe she should wear a purple kimono." Purple. Why purple? "That is the color of the orchid Sasuke gave her." Oh.
Yes, Nera had told Tenten the story of the orchid. The woman was her teammate. It hadn't felt right to keep a secret from her. So that's exactly what she did.
She and Sasuke had decided it would be best just to tell everyone at once. So they had decided to announce their engagement at dinner. A dinner that they had served in their home.
"Wow!" Choji was certainly happy about that. "This food is amazing." Indeed. It was.
It still shocked her that Sasuke could not only cook, but that he could cook well. They had prepared the meal together. Fine steaks, potatoes, salads, and chocolate strawberries were laid out everywhere for desert. There was even some rather expensive sake.
Shikamaru sighed at he looked at them. "What a drag. Not that I'm complaining about a free meal, but what's going on?" There was a reason why he was known as a genius, Nera mused. He was highly intelligent and perceptive, even if Shikamaru was quite possibly the laziest person that she had ever met.
"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "The bastard never invites people to his house. So obviously something is up."
She had to admit that she was rather impressed by Naruto's and Hinata's acting skills. They had played their parts beautifully. Both of them had pretended that they had no idea what was about to happen so well, that Nera had vaguely considered telling them that they should pursue acting careers.
Sakura whacked the blonde upside the head playfully. "Naruto!" The woman was scolding him for his comment.
She was probably worried that such a comment would convince Sasuke that inviting people over was a bad idea. Nera couldn't entirely blame her there. The last Uchiha seemed to prefer being left to his own devices most of the time. That or he had just grown accustomed to it.
"Right." Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "So Sassy, you wanna get to the point before Blondie over here explodes?"
Nera still couldn't believe the audacity that Suigetsu had displayed at the time. He had actually called Sasuke, Sassy. He was damn lucky to still be alive!
"Yeah!" Ino was psyched, it seemed. "What's going on?"
The blonde woman had never had an issue with asserting herself though. "It's probably best just to tell us." Karin was the same way, but she had also performed her role well.
If Nera didn't know any better, she would have believed that Taka was actually clueless. That was not the case though. Not by a long shot.
Nera shook her head and showed her hand to everyone. "Sasuke and I are getting married." For approximately ten seconds after that, there was just stunned silence.
The Rookie Nine and her team were all equally stunned for the most part. The only exceptions being Naruto, Hinata, and Taka. Luckily, they had far better poker faces than Nera had ever given them credit for.
"YOU'RE ENGAGED?!" Sakura and Ino were the first to speak.
Sasuke twitched and covered his ears. "Yes, I asked Nera to marry me and she accepted my proposal." Not that she could blame him. They had been rather loud.
It was only to be expected though. As far as most of the people in that room were concerned, they had barely spoken more than a dozen or so words to each other. They didn't know the true circumstances behind their engagement. It was only natural that they'd be shocked.
"The Power of Youth and Love is so beautiful!" Lee pumped his fist into the air as tears of happiness streamed down his cheeks.
It was a bit overdramatic, but that was just who Lee was. He meant well though. That was really all that mattered.
"How did this happen?" Tenten looked at her friend, pleading for more of an explanation.
Nera smiled at her. "Sasuke proposed to me in the Forest of Death." Kiba, Shino, Sakura, and Ino all fell out of their chairs upon hearing that. "He told me that he would know, if I accepted by whether or not I was wearing this purple orchid in my hair." She smiled and gestured to the blossom that Sasuke had so sweetly woven into her long tresses.
"That's so romantic!" The girls all had sparkles in their eyes now and the men mostly shook their heads.
Jugo laughed and smiled at her. "Well I'm very happy for both of you and I hope that you'll be happy together." He really was such a gentleman. (Which made her wonder what he was doing in a group like Taka in the first place, but Nera digressed).
"Thank you, Jugo." Sasuke actually smiled at his friend.
The rest of the dinner had been filled with interrogations. The other ninjas wanted to know every little detail about their 'courtship' and in the case of the women, they wanted to help plan the wedding.
"Yes, maybe purple." Nera nods as she smiles at that thought.
She still had a busy day ahead of her. Today was actually Sasuke's birthday. After she finished her wedding kimono shopping, she would head home and work on his birthday surprise.
There should still be plenty of time to do it. It seemed that the boys were already celebrating his engagement. Something about a Bachelor Party. (Nera had decided it was best not to ask for too many details about this particular occasion, it would only serve to irritate her).
"Are you alright?" Ino tilts her head at Nera. "You look a little annoyed."
Nera sighs and shakes her head. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about Sasuke's Bachelor Party." Gods and Goddesses only knows what the boys were planning on doing for it.
Sakura grins at her. "Don't worry." She giggles. "We'll make sure you have an even better Bachelorette Party!"
Wait. What? No! That was not what she meant. Nera had no desire for a Bachelorette Party. The thought of having half naked men who were strangers dance for her was just terribly vulgar. Besides, it wasn't as if any of them could compete with Sasuke when it came to their physiques. It was a waste of time.
"I don't want a Bachelorette Party." That didn't seem to matter to her friends though.
They were already in the midst of planning 'the best party' ever. How did she get herself into these situations?!
Warning Sasuke's Party Scene
Naruto shakes his head in disbelief. Only Sasuke. Only Sasuke could have a bad time at his own Bachelor Party.
The Bastard was actually trying to sulk in a corner. "Oh come on!" The blonde wasn't going to allow that though. It was time to drag Sasuke out of his corner and force the Bastard to have some fun.
"Naruto, you're being an idiot." Sasuke rolls his eyes at his friend as he tries to free himself from the other ninja's grip. "I didn't want or need a Bachelor Party in the first place." Pft! It was tradition! Sasuke was going to do some 'Guy Stuff' with them for once!
Naruto shakes his head and Kiba pushes Sasuke onto a seat as the dog lover gestures for one of the 'dancers' to come over to him. This was going to be one long night. One way or another, they were going to forcer Sasuke to have some fun though!
"I don't want a damn lap dance!" Why did Sasuke have to be so difficult?
The poor dancer. She must be really embarrassed. The woman in question was a sexy red head with cleavage almost as big as Tsunade dressed as a maid. In other words, Pervy Sage would have gone bonkers over her.
The dancer laughs. "You are the one getting married, right?" Damn right, his best friend was getting married.
Sasuke was actually getting married. Naruto almost couldn't believe it really. The man had never even looked at girls before and now, he had proposed to one? It was kinda crazy.
"Yes." Sasuke sighs as the woman gets in his lap. "I still don't want a lap dance."
She giggles at that. "Are you worried that you're fiancée will be angry with you?" The woman was getting up close and personal as Sasuke reaches for a large cup of sake and gulps it down in one go. "I can't really blame you. I'd probably be very jealous, if our roles were reversed." Oh boy. "It's tradition though. I'm sure she'll understand."
Sasuke clearly didn't agree. "Do you know who my fiancée is?" Yeah. He was going to be stubborn. Everyone else was enjoying some sake or dancing with pretty girls, but not Sasuke.
"No. I do not." She shakes her head as she begins her dance.
His best friend was growing increasingly annoyed. "Nera Hyuga." Sasuke gives her a dirty look. "And if you don't stop that, I promise you that she won't hesitate to lock up your chakra points, if she ever runs into you."
Well that seemed to do the trick. The woman quickly gets off Sasuke and makes up an excuse for leaving, before running off.
Unbelievable. "Sasuke, did you really have to threaten her?" Naruto groans at his friend's behavior.
"Oh that wasn't threat." Sasuke smirks. "That was a warning."
End of Sasuke's Party Scene
"You are really no fun." Naruto shakes his head a few minutes later as he and Sasuke leave the party. "You scared everyone away." Yes, he had.
Sasuke didn't need some woman to dance for him. He had Nera for that. Maybe. Actually, he wasn't really sure.
Nera was going to be his wife and she certainly didn't mind kissing him. Though beyond that, Sasuke wasn't entirely sure what she considered acceptable behavior when it came to intimacy. She loved massages though. Were sensual dances out of bounds? He didn't know.
He walks towards the Uchiha District with the blonde beside him. "Of course, I did." Everyone else was already heading back to their respective homes.
Everyone except for Naruto. Sasuke loved the other ninja like a brother, but sometimes he did wonder if Naruto was actually trying to become his shadow. That or maybe, the blonde thought Sasuke was his.
Whatever. It didn't matter. The girls should be done shopping by now and he could spend the rest of the evening with Nera. It was his birthday.
"You don't actually think Nera would do anything to those women." Two nervous blue eyes glance at him as they continue on their way. "Do you?"
Honestly, Sasuke wasn't really sure. Though he wasn't willing to take that chance. It was already late and he just wanted to relax and go over wedding plans.
He shrugs at the question. "I'd rather not take that chance." His future wife was a powerful ninja in her own right. If she truly was the jealous type, those women wouldn't know what hit them. "Anyway, we're here." Sasuke walks inside the District. "So I'll see you later?" Sasuke smiles at Naruto.
"Yeah." Naruto nods. "Later and try not to be a Bastard towards her." He shakes his head at Sasuke. "She did give up a lot to marry you."
Sasuke snorts at that. Nera had given up being a Hyuga, but she had also given up being a slave. Honestly, she was getting a lot more than she was giving up.
"I'll keep that in mind." Though he wasn't going to bother explaining any of that to Naruto." Goodnight." And with that, he strides towards his house.
He was completely unaware that Nera was already inside and working on his birthday surprise…
The cake was almost ready. Nera blushes as she adjusts her apron a bit. The scent of baking had already been filling the kitchen for quite sometime.
"He'll be here soon." Well most likely in another hour or two anyway.
She was of course, baking her fiancé a birthday cake. Today was July 23rd. A very special day.
She knew that he didn't like sweets. So Nera had to get creative. She ahd eventually decided on a red velvet cake for him.
That and his other birthday present. "It might be too soon, but we're already engaged." She fidgets with her apron at the thought.
She didn't have nearly enough courage to wear nothing, but an apron while cooking for Sasuke. Nera did however have enough courage to wear an apron and some enticing lingerie though.
Well at least she hoped that he would find it enticing. The lavender eyed woman had agreed to marry him and help him to restore his Clan. That meant that sooner or later, they would be intimate. Most likely with at least relative, if not great frequency. Which would be far easier to do, if he was attracted to her.
"Nera, I'm home." She hears Sasuke shout from the living room. "Are you back from shopping yet?"
It was such a strange feeling. Having someone to come home to who was there because they wanted to be. Not because they were family and had to be. Nera knew that this would take some getting used to.
She smiles though. "Yes, I'm in the kitchen." That was all that she needed to say before the young woman hears the sound of footsteps coming towards her. Definitely the footsteps of Sasuke.
She had grown more used to him in the past few weeks. Nera now knew exactly what his footsteps sounded like when he wasn't trying to be silent. She knew that his favorite food was tomatoes and a few other things. One of which was that Sasuke was definitely not a morning person. If given the choice, he'd sleep till Noon. (She supposed everyone had a little Shikamaru in them).
Orochimaru tilts his head as reads a rather ancient looking text. "Well, well." Of course, he had suspected at some point the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans had mingled, but he had never expected the few handful of recorded incidents to be this thorough or exotic.
"Is something wrong, Lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto approaches him.
The man was now running an orphanage. Of course, the silver haired ninja often visited the Sound Village. Where would the Sannin be without his ever faithful servant?
He shakes his head and smiles. "No. Nothing is wrong." Orochimaru gestures for the medic to have a look at the ancient text. "Look at this. It's utterly fascinating."
Kabuto complies and looks. It didn't take long for him to blink. Yes, that was Orochimaru's reaction exactly.
"Have you informed Sasuke of this?" The other man pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "He'll certainly want to know."
The Sannin couldn't help, but smirk. "No, but I will soon." Orochimaru had a feeling that Sasuke was going to be rather pleased about what they had discovered.
Who would have thought that such a thing was possible? Never in his wildest dreams, did Orochimaru imagine that this was what happened when Hyugas and Uchihas had children. These children were going to be extraordinary.
Sasuke heads into the kitchen and blinks. Whatever he had expected to find inside it was definitely not this. Nera was bent over the oven and pulling out a red velvet cake, wearing only an apron and some very sexy lingerie.
"That's one Hell of a way to say happy birthday." He chuckles.
He blamed Kakashi and well biology. How as he not supposed to look when Nera was bent over like that. When she was displaying a leopard thong for him. Sasuke would have had to be blind not to react to something like that!
The last Uchiha instantly feels his eyes bleed ruby red. It was just something that happened with the Sharingan. It was triggered either consciously or subconsciously by strong emotions.
Contrary to popular belief, those emotions did not necessarily have to be negative. "Mmm. I'm glad you think so." Desire could activate the Sharingan just as surely as hatred, anger, and despair could. It was just a lot of lust was required to activate it and well, that leopard lingerie was certainly doing the trick right now.
"Red velvet and leopard lingerie." Sasuke smirks as she stands up and sets the cake down on the table before he wraps his arms around her waist. "I feel rather spoiled at the moment."
She smiles and leans back against him. "Well I knew that you didn't particularly care for sweets, but cake is traditional for birthdays." Sasuke nods in agreement as he brushes Nera's beautiful hair away from her neck. "So I thought that red velvet would be an excellent compromise."
Indeed. It was excellent. That wasn't the only thing that was excellent about today though. So were her fashion choices.
"It looks delicious." He smirks and nips the back of her neck playfully. "You look even better."
Nera sighs in pleasure and leans back against him. "I would hope so." The young woman laughs softly as she gives him a sassy smile. "I'll likely be around as lot longer than the cake will. So it's only fitting that you like me better." To which, Sasuke couldn't resist giving her backside a firm slap.
She yips and surprise and gives him a dirty look for that. Fortunately, the woman didn't block his chakra. Sasuke decides to take that as a good sign.
"Yes, I would hope you'll be around a lot longer than the cake as well." Sasuke smirks at that thought.
She shakes her head at him. "I think that Kakashi has thoroughly corrupted you." She nudges him until he was sitting on the chair and Nera was sitting on his lap. "I can't believe that you just slapped my ass like that."
Sasuke blinks. He was in shock that Nera had said such a 'dirty' word. Honestly, he had expected her to use a more subtle term for such a thing. It was well…his Sharingan wasn't going to be deactivating anytime soon, it seemed.
"You were cooking in nothing, but your lingerie in front of me." He was justified. "You wouldn't have pranced about in such a fashion, if you didn't want me to touch." He shakes his head and kisses her. "You're not that naïve."
Nera laughs softly at that and rests her head on his shoulder. "You're right." Of course, he was. "You're going to be my husband and it's your birthday. So I thought that I'd do something special for you. I went with leopard because I know that you're fond of cats."
That was sweet. That and the leopard did look really good on her. She had chosen a snow leopard design to boot. Which really flattered her creamy skin and he was tempted to rip it right off her.
"Such a thoughtful fiancée, I have." He kisses the top of her head. "I have to admit, that your birthday presents are a Hell of a lot better than that damn club that Naruto and the others drug me too."
Nera's eyes narrow at that. She knew it was tradition, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She and Sasuke hadn't had a traditional courtship by any stretch of the imagination. It made her feel more than a little self-conscious that he might compare her to those women. What if she didn't measure up in some way?
"That's the last time you're going to an establishment like that." She was going to put her foot down. "Unfortunately, I'll probably get drug to one soon though."
It wasn't really a pleasant thought. Having strangers rub up against her in that way. She had thought it once before, but it was still true. None of them could compete with Sasuke in that regard.
She didn't think that they were in love, but Nera believed in being honest with herself. She had been jealous of some woman who got paid to do sexy dances for men. Jealousy meant that she cared on some level.
Did he feel the same way though? "I could always burn down the club, if you prefer?" Apparently, he did.
That was something then. She had given up her life as a Hyuga woman, but she was getting something else in return. What that something else was exactly, she wasn't sure. Though she knew the most important thing.
Sasuke had given Nera her freedom. That was a precious gift and something she wasn't ever going to forget.
"It's tempting." She shakes her head. "It wouldn't be fair though and I have a better idea in mind." Nera brushes her lips against his ear playfully and makes her words come out as a seductive purr. "I'm going to show you exactly why you never need to seek out the 'services' those women provide, ever again." After all, she may no longer be a Hyuga…but Nera did have her pride. She was better than those dancers!