Our Son

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Notation: Seiko is about ten months old in this chapter. Most babies begin to actually talk around 11 months to 14 months old. So he's a smidge ahead of schedule. I figure if Itachi can graduate the Academy at seven, Seiko can start talking a bit early.

Chapter 11

A few days later, it was Saturday. Sasuke and Hinata didn't have to teach on the weekend. Hinata was now out with the female members of the Rookie Nine, Kurenai, and Tsunade. They were having a "Girls' Day Out."

Sasuke didn't really want to know what went on during these excursions. He filed that firmly under the I Don't Want To Know Category. That wasn't what mattered though.

"Don't worry, Seiko. She'll be back soon." Sasuke says as he continues preparing dinner.

What mattered was that Hinata would likely have a good time, spending the day with her friends. That and she would be in a good mood when she returned. That was definitely something that would be rather helpful in his "Mission."

Seiko watches as his daddy curiously. He wasn't sure where mommy was, but daddy didn't seem worried. So Seiko was sure that she'd be back. He still didn't know what Sasuke was up to though.

"I'm going to propose to her." He tells Seiko.

He didn't really know why he was telling his son that. It wasn't as if the baby had any idea what he was talking about. Sasuke supposed that it was because it filled the silence and soothed his nerves.

The Uchiha didn't know why he was nervous. They already had a son together. They lived together and they were lovers. This was just making it official. Essentially, they were married in all but name.

"Dada?" Seiko asks curiously and Sasuke's eyes widen.

He was so in shock that Seiko said his first official word, that he forgot he was cooking over the stove. Sasuke was soon reminded of that fact when the fire licked his hand.

"Ahh!" He growls and immediately moves his hand, putting some aloe on it.

"Dada?" Seiko asks in a concerned voice.

"I'm fine, Seiko. Yes, dada." He says proudly and scoops up his son and rocks him.

Seiko coos and giggles. Daddy must be okay. He seemed very happy. Seiko smiles and snuggles into his chest.

"Such a good boy." Sasuke praises him, ignoring the pain in his hand from the burn as he looks at Seiko and the ring that he was planning on giving Hinata.

It was a golden wedding band with a white diamond heart surrounded by a golden frame and more white diamonds surrounding it. Once upon a time, it had belonged to his mother. Sasuke thought it would be fitting, if it ended up belonging to the mother of his child now.

Seiko blinks as he sees the ring. Shiny. He reaches out for it and Sasuke keeps it out of his grasp.

"No. No. I love you, but this isn't something that you want to put in your mouth. You could choke on it." Sasuke says as he places the ring inside his pocket.

Seiko pouts slightly at being denied the chance to investigate the shiny thing. He liked shiny things. They were fun to play with.

"Dada?" He asks, figuring that maybe that would do the trick.

"You're clever. Already trying to butter me up and you aren't even a year old." Sasuke says with a smile as he kisses Seiko's forehead.

The infant coos in response. He was still confused about the ring, but maybe he'd figure it out later. For now, he was just happy to be the center of his daddy's attention.

"You're mother is going to be so proud of you. Hopefully, you'll say it in front of her too." Sasuke muses.

He wasn't exactly sure how talkative Seiko was going to be. There was a chance that he might be shy about his newfound ability in front of Hinata. Sasuke hoped that wasn't going to be the case, but he knew that it was a real possibility.

Meanwhile Hinata was out with her friends. At the moment, they were all at the spa. Ino and Sakura were getting their hair done. Tsunade and Tenten enjoying some massages. Sakura was off in the sauna somewhere. Finally, Hinata and Kurenai were getting their nails done.

That was one nice thing about being a teacher, Hinata muses. She knew that indulging in such pursuits like getting her nails done wasn't entirely useless. A combat ninja wouldn't bother with something like this. Nails were often one of the first "causalities" of being a combat ninja. It was just a fact of life.

"It's nice that Sasuke understands the importance of these outings." Kurenai offers.

"I don't think that he really understands him. As soon as I say that I'm going on one of them, he looks at me as if I just told him that I'm going to the Moon. He knows that I enjoy them though. So he doesn't argue." Hinata says with a giggle.

"That's good. How are things going between the two of you besides that?" The Genjutsu asks.

That's when the other nearby female ninjas all turn their attention back towards Hinata. The bluenette smiles sheepishly. Oh for goodness sake's even the woman doing her nails, suddenly looked curious.

"Really good. He's great with Seiko and we're getting along very well." She mumbles and feels her face heating up.

The young mother hoped that they weren't going to press for elaboration on that really well part. Hinata was quite happy with what they did in private. Almost deliriously happy at times really, but she still wasn't comfortable discussing how Seikos were made with her friends.

"Emphasis on the really good part. You're blushing." Tenten observes with amusement.

"Maybe a little." She mumbles and she knew at that moment that her face was probably redder than Sasuke's Sharingan.

"Oh don't tease her too much. Be happy for her. That's good news, Hinata. I have no idea how you managed it, but I'm happy for you." Tsunade offers.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Hinata says as she mentally sighs in relief.

She loved her friends. She really did. It was just that sometimes, their love of gossip could get a little out of control. Hinata knew that they all meant well, but that didn't change the fact that they could be overwhelming sometimes.

"Speaking about Team Seven Men…" Ino begins and Kurenai gives her a dirty look.

Oh no. She wasn't playing that game. Just because Kakashi had gotten her some flowers for her birthday didn't meant the man was in love with her. Ino's family owned the flower shop. Unfortunately, that meant that the blonde knew all about the flowers. Ever since then, Ino was bound and determined to play matchmaker.

"Ino. No. Just no." Kurenai warns her.

"What about Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, Kakashi, and Captain Yamato?" Sakura asks as she comes back from her Sauna.

Hinata blinks. When Sakura put it like that, one thing became clear. Team Seven was not a normal team. She had never really thought about it, but there had actually been many reincarnations of that team.

"Oh I was talking about Kakashi. He got Kurenai Sensei flowers for her birthday." Ino says cheerfully.

Hinata shakes her head in amusement. In a way, she felt bad for her Sensei. The bluenette couldn't lie though. She was also very relieved. Thank goodness, at least they were no longer focused on her.

Elsewhere, Hiashi sighs as he continues his training regime. Normally, he would have poured all of his focus into it. Sadly, his heart just wasn't in it today and for good reason.

His eldest daughter was likely too far gone. That demon had his fangs into her too deeply. Sasuke had been living with her for months now. One would almost think that he was a normal father. He knew the truth though. It was just the calm before the storm.

"Lord Hiashi, would you like some tea?" One of the Branch Members asks.

"Oh yes. Just leave it over on the table. I'll get to it shortly." He replies, after ceasing his punches.

The Branch Member nods and places the tea on the table. She quickly exits. Everyone knew of Hiashi's troubles with Hinata. It was no mystery why he was behaving strangely these days and she wasn't eager to get caught in the crossfire.

"Wonderful. Now my own Clan is tiptoeing around me as if they are terrified of my very presence." He mutters as he heads over to grab some tea.

Perhaps things would look better after a nice cup of the familiar beverage. Sighing, he begins sipping it. He needed to come up with some sort of plan.

Sasuke didn't seem in a hurry to take his advice. It was likely that he was going to stay with her. That thought did terrify him. Who knew what he would end up teaching Seiko?

"Well I have to do something. They may no longer be Hyugas in name, but they are still Hyugas by blood." He mutters.

He knew that the elders were getting restless. Their hope had been that Hinata would raise Seiko as a civilian, once it became apparent that Sasuke was never coming back from his Journey of Redemption. Obviously, that hadn't worked out as they planned.

Now they were stuck with the fact that Sasuke was apparently going to play a very active role in the boy's life. This could only end in disaster. Hiashi doubted that even Hinata's kindness would fully be enough to compensate for the fact that Seiko's father was a monster.

"He has half of her inside him and half of him. I suppose we shall see which is the stronger half. For now though, I must act." He mutters.

Trying to reason with them hadn't worked. He was going to have to be more subtle. Maybe he should aim for a reconciliation. Once their bond was reestablished, perhaps he could reason with Hinata.

"Well it's my best chance." He says to himself as he begins to walk out of the Hyuga Estate.

On his way out, he was stopped by one of the elders. Hiashi sighs. He knew what topic was on their mind.

"I am going to speak with Hinata. It may be a long and slow process, but I believe that perhaps I have a new idea that might solve our situation." He says.

"Good. I won't lie to you, Hiashi. The others are getting rather nervous. The fact that Hinata actually slapped you only adds fuel to their anxieties. I really do not know how much longer things will stay calm, if nothing is done. I don't trust that man." Dai says.

Dai was one of the Hyuga Elders. He was probably twice Hiashi's age and that was certainly saying something. Hiashi was no longer an Academy Student himself.

"I shall do whatever is necessary to protect our Clan. I can assure you of that much." Hiashi says as he bids Dai adieu and heads off.

A few hours later, Hinata returns home. As soon as she walked through the door, the scent of dinner hit her nose. Was that steak? She was pretty sure that was steak.

"That smells good." She says with a smile as she greets Sasuke and Seiko.

"Glad you think so. Seiko helped me in the kitchen today." Sasuke tells her as he kisses her cheek.

Seiko coos in response. He knew when he was being talked about by now. That was all the encouragement that Hinata needed to lift up her son into her arms and rock him.

"You're such a good boy." She says.

"He's a smart boy too. He said his first official word today." Sasuke tells her smugly.

"Really? What'd he say?" Hinata asks excitedly.

Sasuke bites his lower lip. He really hoped that Seiko would say it again. Hinata had missed out on him saying it the first time. So he was hoping she'd hear it this time.

"Seiko, say dada again." Sasuke instructs his son encouragingly.

The infant blinks and looks up at Sasuke with curious eyes. He didn't really understand what his father wanted. He knew that he was certainly being addressed though and Sasuke wanted him to do something.

"Dada?" He asks uncertainly.

"You did it! That's right, Seiko. You're a big boy now. You can walk and talk." Hinata beams with pride.

Seiko smiles and coos. His mommy and daddy were really happy about something. He wasn't sure that he would ever understand big people, but he was more than content to bask in the attention.

"I already fed him. So he should be good for his nap." Sasuke tells Hinata.

"Oh that's good. Thanks for watching him, while I was out with the others. I got my nails done." Hinata informs him.

Sasuke would never understand this obsession women had with their nails. He does note that Hinata's nails were certainly more colorful than usual. Oh well. Whatever made her happy.

"They're very colorful." He offers.

"It's alright. I know that you aren't exactly fascinated by things like that. I do appreciate you watching him though. I'll put him to be bed and then we can have dinner." Hinata says as she heads off with Seiko.

Sasuke smiles and watches her walk off. Thank goodness for snowstorms, he thought once more. Without them, he wouldn't have any of this. He wouldn't have his son or his beautiful lover.

Hinata smiles and sets Seiko down in his bed. She couldn't believe that he could actually talk now. He was growing so fast.

"Maybe I should ask Sasuke if the house is fireproof. There is a chance that you might take after your father." She muses with a giggle and Seiko just coos in response.

She could just imagine the Terrible Twos, Uchiha Style. It was probably best to be prepared. She'd have to talk to Sasuke about the matter later.

Right now, she was just happy to have her son and Sasuke in her life. Seiko looked so adorable, as he yawned and started to settle into his nap. Apparently, he had had a long day "helping" Sasuke in the kitchen and learning how to speak. It was no wonder why he was exhausted.

"That's a good boy. Get some sleep." She says with a smile as she heads off to go eat dinner with Sasuke.

"Hope you like it." Sasuke tells her.

"Sasuke, what happened to your hand? Why is it bandaged?" The bluenette asks in concern when she notices that his left hand was wrapped in bandages.

Sasuke sighs. It was embarrassing, but he was going to have to tell her the truth. The young woman would be too worried to relax, if he didn't and he needed her to be in a good mood before he asked her to marry him.

"I was cooking and Seiko called me Dada. I was shocked and accidentally burned myself. Don't worry. I've certainly had worse. If I can survive losing an arm, I can handle a cooking accident." Sasuke assures her.

"Oh good. Well it's not good that you got burned. It's just good that it isn't serious." She says.

"You're still adorable when you babble and you still babble more accurately than anyone else that I've ever met." Sasuke tells her and he kisses her forehead.

Hinata blushes. It was a habit. Sometimes when she felt embarrassed she either stuttered or babbled. She certainly wasn't nervous around him anymore, but she did sometimes get embarrassed.

"That's very nice of you to say. I think." She murmurs and Sasuke smirks as he kisses her.

The bluenette smiles and returns the kiss. If there was one thing that Sasuke was very good at, it was expressing his love physically. He was highly intelligent, but in a strange way he was also a quiet person. (Most of the time. Well as long as he wasn't around Naruto, really.)

Sasuke certainly wasn't a shy person. It was just that he was an introvert. He was far from mute but things like small talk and talking about his feelings in a healthy way, well for the most part that eluded him. Kissing was another story though.

"I'm glad you think so." He whispers after breaking the kiss and they sit down together to eat.

That's when Hinata noticed that he had placed some roses on the table and there were scented candles. It was very romantic. She had never really known him to be a classic romantic before.

"Did Seiko suggest the roses and candles?" She asks in amusement as she sips her wine.

"Oh yes. He seems to think that you would like the red roses best. I thought you'd prefer white. So we compromised and got both." Sasuke tells her.

"Mmm that's nice." Hinata says and after awhile, she rests her head on his shoulder.

Sasuke was surprisingly cuddly, when he wanted to be. He was a lot like a cat in some ways. For the most part, he would rather be left alone. Only a few select people could get near him, without facing his claws. She just happened to be one of those people and as far as she knew, Hinata was the only one who had Cuddling Privileges.

He wasn't really sure how to go about this. Sasuke had never proposed before. He had never really had to even ask her out technically. The shower incident was the closest he had ever come to doing that. Despite this, Sasuke figured that it was important to at least try to do this the right way.

"I got you something." Sasuke says suddenly.

"You did?" Hinata asks in confusion and Sasuke nods as he places a small velvet box in her hand.

"It used to belong to my mother. I want you to have it. Hinata," The raven haired ninja says.

Hinata blinks. Sasuke was giving her something that belonged to his mother? He didn't realize that he still had anything of Mikoto's. That was shockingly sweet.

"Thank you, Sasuke. I promise that I'll take good care of it." She whispers as she kisses his cheek and opens the box.

"You're welcome and I know that you will. I just hope that it's the right size." Sasuke whispers back.

That's when Hinata gasps. Inside the box, was a beautiful wedding ring. It had to be worth a small fortune.

"Sasuke, this is a wedding ring." The Hyuga woman observes in shock.

She couldn't believe it. Was he actually proposing? Hinata hadn't really thought that he'd do something like that.

"Yes, it's a wedding ring. Hinata, I love you. I didn't think that I'd ever actually love someone, the way that I love you. But I do. We're already living as a family. I just want to make it official. I want you to be my wife." He tells her.

Sasuke didn't expect what happened next. He certainly didn't expect for Hinata to tackle hug him to the couch and kiss him. He wasn't going to argue though.

He would have to be pretty stupid to argue with the glorious sight that was Hinata on top of him. Her eyes were shinning with happiness and her midnight blue hair was cascading around her face like an ethereal waterfall. Not to mention, the beautiful view of her enticing curves. Put simply, Sasuke was quite content to stay right where he was.

"Should I take that as a yes?" He asks slyly, after returning her kiss.

"Yes! It's a yes." She tells in a voice that was a little louder than she had intended.

Sasuke didn't mind the slight pain that her cry of joy caused his ears. Not when she said yes. He smiles and runs his fingers through her hair. Damn she was beautiful.

"Should I also take this as a sign that you want to give Seiko a little sister or brother?" The raven haired man asks his lover with a smirk.

He rather enjoyed the way her creamy skin suddenly turned a dark shade of red. It was truly amazing. She still blushed like an innocent every time, he referenced anything remotely sexual in nature. It didn't matter how many times they had been together, apparently that was just part of who she was.

"Sasuke!" She sputters.

"Well of course, I meant after the wedding. I wouldn't expect you to wear your wedding kimono when you were heavily pregnant. That would just be ridiculous and highly impractical. I imagine shopping for one of those things, while you are pregnant is rather difficult." He muses.

"You're impossible!" Hinata mumbles in embarrassment.

"I'm impossibly in love with you, yes." Sasuke tells her and Hinata smiles.

"I love you too. Ino is going to have a field day with this." She giggles.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about Hinata thinking about Ino so shortly after their proposal. That was strange.

"Hinata, I was kind of hoping to be the sole focus on your attention for the rest of the evening. Well unless Seiko needed us. I'm almost afraid to ask, but I will anyway. Why will Ino have a field day with our wedding, specifically?" He inquires warily.

"Well her family owns the flower shop. I'm sure that she'll want to take care of all our floral needs for the wedding." Hinata reasons and Sasuke breathes a sigh of relief.

Oh. Flowers. Hinata was just thinking about the flowers. That was all. He wasn't sure where he thought the whole Ino thing was going, but he was relieved it was something that normal.

Ino was definitely the Queen of Gossip in the Leaf Village. Sadly, gossip was the favorite pass time of most Leaf Villagers. This was the case, even when it came to ninjas. It tended to spread like wildfire.

"Sure. She can handle all the floral stuff. I'm more interested in you than in flowers anyway." Sasuke tells her.

"Alright. I should have figured that you wouldn't be very interested in flowers, unless it was to impress me with them. The roses are beautiful by the way. You and Seiko did a good job with choosing them." She laughs.

"Yes, he does have excellent taste. He's like his mother in that respect." Sasuke says with a smile as he lightly pushes Hinata off of him and then picks her up Bridal Style.

Hinata smiles and snuggles into his chest. She did like it when Sasuke carried her around. That was certainly something that she shared in common with their son. Seiko loved is piggyback rides.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" She laughs.

"I'm practicing carrying you over the threshold. It's tradition. Traditions like that should be respected, don't you think?" He replies as he proceeds to do that.

"Yes, I quite agree." Hinata replies with a smile as Sasuke carries her off to their room and over the threshold.

Maybe things would work out. Somehow the Hyugas and the Uchihas were learn to coexist. After all, she was marrying Sasuke Uchiha. Anything was possible.