The SEAL'S Kiss

Celestia193's Author's Note: Alright, after that sunny note, it's time to get back to the plotting and planning. And it's time to fight back. …It's also time for some lime, because who doesn't love sexy times with a sexy SEAL?

Silver's Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. We hope you enjoy this plotting chapter that is now available in lime flavor. (Seriously, it is a big lime).

Chapter 14

The full autopsy results of all eight assassins had recently come in, and Fugaku had gone over them…at least half a dozen times each. His agents had spent days trying to track down the identities of the corpses, and so far, they'd only managed two. Fu Yamanaka, a cousin of Hinata's friend. The boy had disappeared two decades earlier, now to re-emerge as an elite assassin. And the second, Torune Aburame, the nephew of an acquaintance of Fugaku's. This young man had also disappeared as a child.

Coincidence? He thought not as he went over the many folders once more in Hiashi's private. "It seems as though whoever is behind these attempts is recruiting children, erasing their identities, and training them into effective, nameless assassins." It was the only thing that could explain why none of Fugaku's agents could track down so much as a cell-phone, credit card, a driver's license or even a birth certificate associated with any of these people. "As far as the system is concerned, none of these people exist."

"Then that would appear to make our job far more difficult." Hiashi doubted these were the only 'ghosts' after them. "How does one get around in modern society without any form of identification, even if it is forged?" That meant whoever was behind this had been operating under the radar for years. A troubling thought.

"They don't." Fugaku frowns at the files. "Not unless they have someone extremely powerful and well-connected who can open doors for them, and place them wherever they like on the board." Whoever their enemy was, they were intelligent, conniving, and exceedingly dangerous. "We have a very powerful opponent who is more than capable of working our system. And based on their targets, your family is not the only one in danger."

"Normally, assassination attempts are expected in my line of work." Families like his were always going to be targets. "Though I don't think that it's a coincidence they decided to strike at that dinner." Something felt off about this.

It didn't strike him as something someone would do over a personal grudge. "This seems...impersonal to me, but they're putting a great deal of effort into it." They were all important figures politically in some way, whether politicians or through their connections, but even the politics of the potential victims didn't line up enough for it to be purely a matter of ideology. "I think someone is trying to create a power vacuum." Likely to fill it themselves or perhaps for an employer of some kind. "By taking out influential figures."

Yes, Fugaku could see the logic in the argument, and his mind quickly started turning over, analyzing the roles of everyone at the dinner. "The First Family, senators, high-ranking federal agents, a media titan…people involved in politics, business, law enforcement, and public relations." They were jobs that involved a lot of exposure to the public eye, and ones that, if suddenly found vacant, would cause a great deal of confusion and chaos. "An attempt to throw us into a chaotic state of anarchy in order to grab power?"

That didn't sound exactly right. "Whoever is behind this has likely been planning such a thing for years." It couldn't be easy to erase people from the system in such a way. "You might be right, but I feel as though these attacks are too carefully orchestrated to be the work of anarchists. Perhaps, I am being stereotypical, but I don't imagine they have the necessary patience for something like this."

"No, they wouldn't…" Fugaku didn't truly consider them to be possible perpetrators. No, whoever was doing all of this knew EXACTLY what they were doing. "But it could be that whoever is orchestrating this has the patience and composure to weather the anarchy and use it as a tool to raise themselves, their puppets, and the country from the ashes of that chaos. That sort of chaos tends to follow the assassination of a president."

Hiashi nods at that as he considers it. "I wouldn't say that the attacks are random, but I suspect that they would target anyone in a position of power, if they saw an opportunity." Obviously, certain people were higher profile marks than others though. "Which means really any Congressman, Congresswoman, or person in my cabinet may be at risk."

Now THAT, Fugaku doubted. "No, I don't think that their targets are nearly so broad. I think that, provided they aren't caught, they'll likely target those who are seen as the 'opposition'." So, what did most of the people at that dinner have in common…? "…With the exceptions of a few old sticks in the mud, the attendees of the dinner have a tendency to push for more moderate to progressive agendas, isn't that right?" He knew for a fact that Itachi did, and Neji was of a similar mindset. There was no one more progressive than Minato and his family. And the younger attendees, for the most part, were part of that new wave.

"That's accurate enough." Hiashi couldn't dispute that. "Though for someone to erase people from the grid so to speak, we're dealing with someone who is either extremely wealthy and connected or someone who is working for such an individual." He frowns at that thought. "My first suspicion is that it's likely someone in Congress or the military."

"I doubt that they're military." Normally, Fugaku wouldn't discount the possibility. In fact, were it not for one detail, he would first investigate it as the culprit being ex-military, with the way things were handled. But there was just one thing… "The way that they operated was similar to a military operation, but I doubt that a military officer would overlook the fact that my son, who was on shore leave from the navy, was visiting us at the time with his team. If they had known that, they would have sent at least twice as many assassins, and their first step would have been to neutralize the threats, Sasuke and Naruto, before the civilians."

"That might be true, but I believe that I may have a solution to our problem or at least to narrow the field." His friend wouldn't like this, but it was necessary. "The State Dinner."

The director's eyes narrow. "Are you planning on using so many potential targets as bait, to set a trap, or merely to identify the most likely culprits?" It was a daring idea to use a State Dinner for such a purpose, but if used correctly, extremely effective.

"Identifying potential suspects." It would be too dangerous to do otherwise. "If this person or group is targeting the Movers and Shakers of High Society, they couldn't resist gathering intelligence in such a setting and they will likely already have an invite." If they were capable of creating ghosts, he was still almost certain this person was somehow involved in government. They would be there.

"And the team?" Fugaku was already coming up with a few dozen ways to place the four of them for either reconnaissance, to blend in, or for overt protection. "They are still largely unknown to the public, and therefore could be placed anywhere."

Hiashi smiles at him. "Well that is more your area of expertise." He honestly wasn't sure where to place them. "We want them to have a chance to observe as many people as possible for suspicious behavior though."

"Of course." Well, if it was being left up to him…then Fugaku had an idea regarding where they could be placed. "As all eyes are on your family, I doubt that anyone would make an attempt during the event. With that in mind, I would have Sakura join the serving staff in disguise, Naruto would make for an excellent usher with his friendly disposition. That would make it easy for the two of them to observe everyone coming and going from the building. As for Sasuke and Sai, both of them have ties to congress, so while I would normally place Sai somewhere he can't be seen, the fact that he is Senator Shimura's grandson may incite that old gasbag bringing him. If that proves to be the case, I would suggest having Sasuke and Sai sit in with the guests and mingle for a more personal evaluation of the attendees."

"That sounds perfect." Hiashi nods his head in agreement. "We shall get to the bottom of this." He wouldn't rest until his family was safe again!

"Yes, we will." And while it pained Fugaku to put such a burden on his son, the boy was now a man, and a soldier, an despite his own personal feelings on the matter, he knew that the team could handle the assignment.

Which is why Fugaku goes for his phone, typing in just a few words for his son, before putting it away. "And if we find the culprit or culprits at the dinner, how would you like them handled?"

"I would prefer them captured alive." That way, Hiashi could get answers out of them. "If that is not possible though, deadly force is acceptable."

"Understood." While Fugaku was pretty sure that all of this had a huge chance of blowing up in their faces, this could also be the break that they sorely needed. His thoughts are interrupted by the expected knock on the door. "Come in."

The doorknob turns, the door opening to reveal his slightly disheveled son. "You wanted to see me?" Sasuke had gotten the text quite suddenly, and had leaped over a couple of railings to get downstairs quickly.

Hiashi blinks at Sasuke's appearance. "Well yes. Fugaku, perhaps it would be best if you briefed the boy." He tilts his head at the disheveled one. "Are you quite alright? You look as though you've just run a marathon."

Sasuke forces himself not to twitch. "I was upstairs." In Hinata's room. On her bed. Enjoying quite a lot of kissing. But more to the point, there was apparently something that he needed to be briefed on. "What's going on?"

"Hiashi wishes to use the State Dinner to discover the culprit behind these assassination attempts. And I would like for your team to take up appropriate positions in the dining room for the occasion." Fugaku shakes his head at his son, knowing all too well what caused clothes to become rumpled like that. A bed. "Naruto is to be an usher, Sakura a member of the serving staff, and if Sai is not invited by his grandfather, he should take up a covert position while you remain in the hall to mingle and evaluate the guests." He glances to Hiashi. "Was there anything else?"

"You have permission to kill, but capture is preferred." Hiashi adds, seeing that Fugaku had covered everything else thoroughly. "I have full confidence that this mission will be a success." Almost as successful as Executive Order 69.

"Of course." Sasuke doesn't even bat an eye at the permission given. "And if we identify the potential culprit, only for capture to prove inadvisable?"

"We shall cross that bridge when we come to it." Hiashi didn't want to know what inadvisable could entail in this case. "For now, our primary goal is intelligence gathering."

"Understood." Sasuke glances at his father, frowning as he almost felt the smugness wafting off of him, before returning his gaze to the president. "Is that all for now?"

Hiashi nods in confirmation. "That is all. We'll be consulting you as we make our plans of course, but at ease soldier." He chuckles at his own joke.

Sasuke's eyebrow twitches, but he simply nods before turning his back and removing himself from the room, much to his father's amusement. "Run a marathon, my ass." Fugaku shake his head. "It seems that Executive Order 69 is proceeding on schedule." And according to his calculations… "The noise began last night, didn't it?"

"Well...I'm not quite certain." A faint dusting of pink spread across the President's cheeks. "I was quite busy last night and I wouldn't have overheard anything." He was authorizing his own executive orders in the Oval Office with his beautiful First Lady. Fugaku didn't need to know that though.

"I see." Well, that was too much information, even between the lines. "Well, I expect that Sasuke and Hinata will move beyond simply spending an hour before leaving making use of that bed soon." Honestly, the two were acting like a pair of teenagers, sneaking away to make out somewhere. It was…adorable, really, and Fugaku did not use that word often. "I give it another week, perhaps two. Do you think the first grandchild will be a boy or a girl?"

"A boy." Hiashi nods at that thought. "I have two daughters, so I figure the odds are in favor of a boy this time."

"Yes, I agree." Though Fugaku had very different reasons. "We have a habit of siring more boys than girls in my family, so it would not surprise me to see yet another troublemaker."

Hiashi shakes his head. "Perhaps in that case, I should hope for a granddaughter. Maybe, she'd get into less mischief."

"Maybe." Though Fugaku doubted it, not with the sort of miniature wars that Sasuke and Itachi liked to wage with each other. "Though, in the future, I'd suggest that you not assume that Sasuke has run a marathon. I'm fairly certain that your daughter looks even less proper right now."

"I feel a sudden urge to smack you upside the head, but I suppose that would be highly undignified." Hiashi sighs.

"Yes, it would." And this was something Fugaku would proudly take credit for. "My sons get their ability to aggravate others from me. It's simply too bad that they choose to aggravate each other, instead."

He shakes his head. "You're proud of their ability to irritate others?" And he had thought his own family was strange!

Fugaku smirks. "It's amusing to watch." Despite the fact that he now had to watch Sasuke and Itachi plotting against each other. Because that…was going to end badly.

Hinata had been a little shocked when Sasuke was summoned away for some reason or another and well, she couldn't lie. Part of her was sulking a bit at that. One moment they had been kissing and the next, he had gone into professional soldier mode. (Which was an important mode for him to have for his job, but still).

"Hinata?" Sasuke opens the door, stepping inside and closing it behind him as he makes for his unhappy girlfriend's bed. "Sorry, our fathers wanted to brief me." He smiles as he sits next to her, leaning down to kiss her. "I came back as soon as we were done."

"It's alright." She smiles and kisses him back. "Being interrupted isn't fun, but you are technically on the clock." It was irrational to pout over such things. Hinata would have to get over it.

"That's true. But seeing as he's not my only boss…" Sasuke smirks as he cups Hinata's chin, tilting her head back against the pillows as he trails kisses down her neck. "You can occupy as much of my time as you like."

She mews softly in pleasure and tilts her head to the side, giving him better access. "Glad to hear it. I think that I like being in charge when you put that way." This was nice and there was a much lower chance of someone walking in on them here than at the beach.

A chuckle escapes him as he bites down lightly on her collarbone. "So, what else do you like?" What he liked was being alone with her in a safe place. Because it was the only time he really got to relax at all. That's why he liked her bedroom so much. "Tell me."

"I l-like a lot of things." Hinata moans at the love-bites and arches underneath him.

"So I see." His fingers travel down to her breasts, massaging them as he uses them to hold her down. "But your soldier still needs his orders."

She squirms at the attention and blushes. "Well I do have a lot of orders, I can give such a dedicated soldier." Hinata brushes her lips against his ear and whispers. "I want you to start by ripping off all my clothes and then I want your hands all over me."

Warning Lime

Now THAT made his cock twitch to life. "Yes, Ma'am." Sasuke had been trying to fight a raging hard-on since Hinata pulled him into her room, but now…that was impossible.

His fingers go to work quickly, popping every button of her shirt as he kisses her, lifting her from the bed with one hand as he rids her of it, before sliding his hand beneath the waistband of her skirt. He LOVED it when she wore skirts, especially the ones that stretched instead of tore. It would get annoying to have to get new skirts with her all the time. He liked the ones she already had.

"Such an good, obedient soldier." Hinata giggles at his enthusiasm. "Perhaps, you'll get a promotion at this rate." Hmm. Note to self, Sasuke seemed to really like skirts and they did have the advantage of making things easier from a mechanical perspective.

"Well, someone's feeling sexy today." Sasuke chuckles at the sight of the silky red lingerie that he slides from her hips, holding it up with an eyebrow raised. "Special occasion?" The fingers of his other hand unclasp her bra, before pulling it off from the front.

She blushes at his examination. "Well yes, you." She smiles and wraps her arms around him. "You're the special occasion. After all, not every girl gets a sexy SEAL to play with."

"No, I suppose they don't." He tosses the lingerie away, his fingers dancing up her legs as he places kisses along the soft skin. He sucks a patch just on the inner bend of her knee, squeezing her thighs as he hikes them up, supporting her lower back with his lap. He gazes at, eyes blazing with desire and amusement. "Now, is there any particular place my hands should march?"

"I'll leave that up to your discretion." Hinata's blush grows with every affectionate touch. "Though if your march is successful, I might promote you to drill sergeant." Did they have those in the Navy? Oh well. Who cared? It was a good sexy pun.

"Wrong division, Sweetheart." Sasuke shakes his head as the kisses travel further up her thigh. "But nice try." It was kind of cute, seeing her try to tell dirty jokes. "Don't worry, I'll teach you how to get it right." He place a teasing kiss to the top of her inner thigh, nipping there softly.

She shivers at the suggestive location. "O-Okay." He was so close to her most sensitive place. Would he actually do that though?

With a wide smirk, Sasuke massages Hinata's thighs, pleased with the aroused trembling. Then, he readjusts himself, lowering her back towards the bed, and following her as one muscular arm props her hip up. And, knowing that this would drive her crazy, he presses his tongue inside, licking slowly, meticulously, and paying very special attention to her clit as his hands work to stimulate the muscles and nerves of her lower body.

"S-Sasuke!" Apparently, yes, yes he would! "Ah! Oh God!" Where had he learned how to do that with his tongue. She squirms against him and moans, blushing furiously as she felt herself grow wet.

He liked that, hearing her voice ringing in his ears, and he was careful not to bury himself so deeply that he couldn't hear her anymore. He was sure she could hear him, though, hear the husky growl coming from between her legs. "Cum for me, Hinata." And, wrapping his lips around her clit and sucking it hard, two of his fingers sneak inside, slipping into her to probe right where her spot should be.

"F-Feels so good!" The entire lower half of her body was shaking with desire and anticipation as she fought against the urge to obey his command. "D-Don't stop!" She didn't want it to be over yet. It felt so good.

Chuckling, he probes a little deeper, pressing firmly into the slippery wall with his fingers as his thumb massages the outer passage. Dark eyes flick to hers, amusement still very much present, as well as desire. But now, smugness and pride had joined them as he sucks hard, feeling the tiny pearl swelling between his lips.

Fuck! There was no way to resist that. "S-SASUKE!" She came hard and fast with a scream. Her body couldn't not respond to that.

Smirking, Sasuke rakes clean fingers through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes as he stalks his way back up her body. "So, did I carry out my marching orders?" The fingers still lodged inside her move teasingly as he kisses her cheek.

"Y-Yes, you did." She pants out as she blushes and nods. "V-Very well."

"Good." It would have seriously hurt his pride if he had failed at something so simple. Though it did tickle boost his ego to know he'd done it without even needing to lose a single article of his own clothing. And now, he slides his fingers out, licking them clean. "Because you taste very sweet."

Her blush was never going away. "And you feel really good." Especially when he made love to her with his mouth, or when his fingers were inside her.

"Yes, I know." It's something he'd been told many times before. "Though it's nice to hear you say it." She was sweet in so many ways, and the way that her body was flushed with pleasure only made him even more aroused. Yeah…best to tamp that down for a bit. "Unless you feel like staying in bed all day, you should probably think about taking a shower. And…changing your clothes." Because he was pretty sure that their hot make-out session before he got called away had gotten her lingerie a little on the wet side.

She smiles and kisses him. "A shower sounds nice. Come join me?" Her mind was still clouded with pleasure and Hinata was not quite in the mood to shower alone at the moment.

Oh, now how was he supposed to refuse that sort of invitation. "Fine by me." Sasuke could pretend not to see where this was going for a little bit. But that patience wasn't going to last long. He takes her by the hand and pulls her from the bed and into his arms. "Lucky that there's an en-suite, huh?"

"Very lucky." She agrees as she cuddles against him. "And as my bodyguard, it's your job to make sure I don't slip or fall."

"And to make sure that no one tries to sneak in to grope you, right?" He smirks widely as he carries her inside. "After all, we can't let any perverts see you like this."

"Well. maybe one pervert is okay." She smiles slyly at him. "Just as long as he doesn't let me fall."

"Oh? I thought that I was the one carrying you." Sasuke puts her down next to the large shower, putting the fluffy white towels well within reach. "Where is this pervert? I should have him escorted out. Maybe through the window."

"He's very close." Hinata giggles at Sasuke's feigned concern. "Look in the mirror."

"Oh?" Sasuke's smirk is reflected back at him in the mirror. "But I only see us here." And see he did, because Hinata's rosy nipples stood out starkly against the pale, creamy skin of her breasts. Yeah…maybe he should have worn looser pants.

"Mhm." She smiles as he reaches for his pants. "That was precisely my point." Which didn't look particularly comfortable at the moment. Maybe, she should help him out of those.

"Accusing me of being a pervert isn't very nice, Hinata." Amusement dances in his eyes as he helps her, shedding his jacket onto the floor, before pulling his shirt slowly over his head. "Tell me that you didn't enjoy being devoured by a sea lion."

"I said you were a pervert." Hinata blushes as she watches him strip. "I never said that I didn't like it." She smiles slyly. Well as sly as someone like her could manage.

"Oh, so you LIKE perverts." Sasuke finds it hard to resist the urge to laugh at her expression. His hands cover hers as they reach for the zipper of his pants. "You also seem to like a strip tease." They drop to the floor a moment later, along with dark boxers, revealing a hard, throbbing red erection. He was almost sorry it was over.

She pauses as she considers that. "Well...every once in awhile. It depends on the kind of pervert in question." If there was ever any doubt in her mind that their attraction was a mutual one, that was quickly erased by the sight of his arousal.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. This sounded just like the sort of thing that could spike his jealousy. "I'll take that as being a question that I don't want to ask." On the other hand… "But this one, I definitely will." He leans in close, licking her ear slowly as he pulls her towards the shower as he reaches out to turn on the hot water. "Do you like what you see?"

Did she like what she saw? Was water wet? "Yes, very much." She nods shyly at the question as she takes in the sight of his naked body with more than a little awe. It was amazing what that harsh military training could do when it came to sculpting the human body to perfection.

"Good." He chuckles as he pulls her under the warm spray, shuddering a little at the feeling of the water cascading over him. "Now that feels good…" And looked good, too, because it made Hinata rather enticing.

"Very good." She smiles as she cuddles to him and enjoys the hot shower.

His eyes roam over her a little. Okay, maybe a lot. And his hands begin to drift, sliding over her curves as her skin becomes wet and slippery. He even ventures to pull her against him, one arm around her back, and his free hand playing with her breasts. "Beautiful…" Even more so now that she wasn't covered by a swimsuit.

Hinata smiles more and sighs in contentment at the attention. "I"m glad you think so." He'd probably be offended, if she called him beautiful again and while it might sound conceited, she was more than happy to bask in the attention. "You know, I could always...do the same for you." She tilts her head back slightly to look at him.

Well, now THAT was an offer that was hard to refuse. "You know, you don't have to do that just because I did." Still, no matter how much he enjoyed oral, Hinata had to be comfortable with that, and it was still kind of early. To him, it came easily. To her…he didn't know. "But if you want to…I'd never say no."

"I know, but I don't mind." She blushes and looks down. "I mean that does look painful and you made me feel good. So I want to do the same for you."

"I see…" He smiles, kissing her softly as he runs his fingers through her hair. "Well, like I said, I'll never say no." And he'd be lying if he said that he didn't want to see her lips wrapped around his cock.

Hinata returns the kiss and smiles. "Alright. Try not to judge me too harshly." It had been awhile since she'd last had a lover. "I don't think that I'm nearly as good as you are at it." She blushes more as she slowly sinks to her knees, the water still falling all around her and drenching her midnight blue locks, plastering them to her creamy white skin as she takes the tip of his arousal into her mouth.

The image was glorious, and the feeling…well, it was definitely something Sasuke had missed. "Well…practice makes perfect." And he was in no mood to deny her practice. Besides, for a shy first attempt, she was doing rather well.

She smiles at the praise and brushes her lips against the sensitive flesh in a ghost of a kiss as Hinata lightly sucks and swirls her tongue around the impressive erection that she was slowly taking more of into her mouth.

"Fuck!" Sasuke's body twitches in pleasure at the feeling of her questing tongue. A bit unsure, maybe, but she was cautiously enthusiastic, to say the least. "Just like that…" He runs his fingers through her hair, trying to provide encouragement.

"I take it swearing is a good sign." She giggles lightly around his cock as she sucks harder and faster, taking about half of him into her mouth and stroking the rest with her soft hands. While Sasuke's were calloused from his harsh physical training regime. Hinata's didn't need to be because her job was mostly a desk job.

Shivering at the silky feel of her hands, Sasuke groans quietly as the familiar tingles of pleasure start to race through him, shortening his rapid breaths. That meant only one thing as he bucks lightly into her mouth. "Hinata…you have about eight seconds." He wasn't sure why eight, but that's when the warning signs came, and he knew his own body…well, probably second best.

She stops sucking for a moment. "It's alright. I don't mind." Hinata appreciated the rather precise warning, but well he had done it for her and she wasn't feeling particularly bashful at the moment.

Closing his eyes as his veins thrum with pleasure, Sasuke counts back in his head. Four…three…two…one… And right on schedule, his whole body shuddered with his orgasm as he howled Hinata's name.

End of Lime

Luckily, they were in the shower. Otherwise things would have gotten very messy. "That's impressive." She tilts her head curiously. "You've actually got it timed down to the exact second."

"Comes with practice…" He reaches his hands down, pulling her back to her feet as he leans back against the shower wall. "Lots of things come with practice." He kisses her gently, tasting himself on her lips. But he'd gotten used to that a long time ago.

She kisses back, blushing at their kisses. "Somehow I doubt I'll get it down to such an exact science." She didn't know whether to be impressed or slightly intimidated by how focused he could be during the throes of passion.

It had actually taken him over a year to time it properly. "Science is mostly trial and error." Kind of like relationships. "You learn through both your successes and your failures." And this…he would most definitely call a success. Sasuke smiles at her, brushing aside some of her soaked hair. "I hope we go through more of the former than the latter, though."

"Me too." She cuddles against him. "Though the fact you can still speak so formally after that is just proof I'll have to try harder."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "Again, practice. It kind of looks bad if you try to talk to your commander five minutes after sex, and can't string more than three words together." And someone had to be the responsible one of the group. He supposed that Sai was filling that position now, at least in that instance.

"I suppose that's true." She rests her head on his shoulder.

"Yes, yes it is." He presses his cheek to her wet hair, his bangs falling into his eyes. "Trial and error has also showed that I'm right ninety eight percent of the time."

She shakes her head in amusement. "What about the other two percent?" Hinata giggles.

"Shit hits the fan and the team gets a huge mess to clean up." He shrugs. That's just how things worked sometimes. Life wasn't always going to hand the advantage to you. And it wasn't always going to give you all of the information you needed. "I prefer being right."

"Oh I'm sure you do." She laughs and kisses his nose teasingly.

Yes, yes he did. And as he kisses her back, he was blissfully oblivious to the two fathers downstairs, one scandalized, one smug, who had heard EVERYTHING coming from upstairs.