My Angel
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I'm so happy the site fixed whatever the glitch was. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 14
Sasuke smiles and brushes the bangs out of Hinata's eyes after she fell asleep. It didn't matter to either of them that the bed they were laying on had been broken. He was content just to watch his angel lay in his arms (and maybe have a slice of cake or two.)
It was good cake after all. He shouldn't let it go to waste. As he was chewing on a slice, he looks at Hinata. He knew he was going to propose. He just didn't know how yet.
"What would she consider special?" He mutters to himself.
The traditional route was a romantic dinner and then just to get down on one knee. While there was nothing wrong with that, it seemed too generic. She deserved something more memorable.
"There has to be something that represents only the two of us." He murmurs.
He could propose in the library. Sasuke still enjoyed pushing her against a bookshelf and capturing her lips with his own. He smirks at that thought. But a library wasn't particularly romantic. He sighs and dismisses that idea. No, that wouldn't work.
Ah ha! He had an idea. The baths. That was where he first made his desire for her clear. He could make it very romantic for her.
"But if I'm not here when she wakes up, that will cause her to panic. Hmm I need a way to set things up, without leaving." He mutters to himself thoughtfully.
A clone! Yes, that would work. Pleased with his own cleverness he summons a clone and explains his idea. The clone nods and heads off. Now al he had to do was sit back and relax.
He smiles when he felt Hinata snuggle into him. Sasuke wraps his arms around his new lover and rests his head on hers. He inhales her sweet scent. It always soothed him. His worries about Obito and everything else had temporarily been forgotten.
Hinata smiles in her sleep. She felt really comfortable. For some reason, her bed felt much warmer than usual and her pillow was firmer. But it was also moving? Hmm that was very strange. Oh well. She snuggles into her pillow, it was still quite comfy.
"Mmm why is my pillow making noises?" She murmurs sleepily about an hour later, having been awoken up by a steady THUMP THUMP underneath her.
She blushes when she realizes where she was. Hinata was laying naked in Sasuke's arms on a broken bed. That hadn't been a pillow her head had been resting on. It had been Sasuke's chest. It was the sound of his heartbeat that had woken her up.
"That was my heartbeat. But I'll gladly be your pillow anytime, angel. How are you feeling?" He asks.
"Really comfortable." She says and lays her head back down on his chest, content to just be held for the moment.
"Good. I was worried that I might have been too rough. I mean we did break the bed." He says with a chuckle.
"You weren't. It was an old bed anyway." She says with a giggle and smiles when she felt him glide his hand up and down her arms.
"Glad to hear it. We'll just have to get some really strong furniture." He declares.
Meanwhile the clone Sasuke, looks around the baths. He places a sign on it that said Baths Closed for Maintenance. That should do it. He didn't really want anyone to walk in on them while he was in the middle of proposing.
The Hyuga Clan was huge. The odds were pretty good that someone would have walked in on them otherwise. That's just what happened once your clan started numbering in the triple digits.
"Traditional is probably best." He murmurs and pours some bubble bath into the water, lights some candles, and throws some rose petals in the water.
He had to hand it to the Branch Members. They really did think of everything. There were vases scattered around the bath with flowers in them, so it was an easy matter to get the roses.
This was a relief. He really didn't want to have to "borrow" roses from the gardens or worse have to go to a flower shop. He didn't know how long Hinata would be asleep. So he had to work fast.
"And she's awake." He mutters once that information filters to his brain from the original Sasuke.
The clone smirks. He disappears with a poof. Well that should be good enough. He lets the other Sasuke know it was ready before he does.
"We should probably go get cleaned off." Sasuke suggests to Hinata.
"Alright." Hinata agrees as she didn't want to get caught covered in sweat with her hair a complete mess.
She knew that someone would ask about it. The blunette honestly wasn't sure if she could come up with a reasonable excuse. Hinata didn't want Sasuke to get interrogated about their time together. She didn't want to get interrogated either. She winces as she pictures what her father would say if he realized they were lovers now.
"Don't worry. We won't get caught." He says with a smile and quickly dresses as Hinata does the same.
She follows him to the baths. Hinata blinks when she saw well everything. Someone had lit dozens of candles, turned off the lights, run a bubble bath, and scattered rose petals in the water.
"Sasuke?" She asks.
"My birthday isn't over yet. I figured we'd make some more memories, while we were at it. I have how many birthdays to make up for forgetting?" He asks.
"Not counting this one? 17 others." She answers automatically.
Sasuke tilts his head. Ah so he was 18. For some reason, it didn't bother him that he didn't even remember his own age or birthday. As long as he had her, everything else was irrelevant.
He knew that Clan members tended to get married even earlier than other ninjas. They had to keep the bloodlines going. The sooner you married, the faster you could start continuing the line. (Not that you needed to be married to have children, but most Clans did prefer it for the sake of appearing "proper.")
"Mhm. That's a lot of birthdays to make up for." He says and strips, getting into the water.
He smirks when he sees her blush. They had just made love and she was still blushing like a virgin. Granted she had been one only a few hours ago, but still. It wasn't anything she hadn't already seen.
"You are so innocent, it's adorable. Come join me." He beckons here and Hinata shyly slides out of her clothes and joins him in the warm water.
"Th-anks." She mumbles and slides into his lap, enjoying it when Sasuke wraps his arms around her.
"I remember the first time I went in here and asked you to join me. I had never seen anyone that shy before." He whispers in her ear.
"That doesn't really mean much. You didn't remember anyone…" She points out.
He chuckles. It was the principle of the thing. He smiles and starts washing her hair, placing light kisses to the back of her neck as he does so.
Hinata lets out a quiet sigh of pleasure. She leans back into her lover. Life was so strange, she mused. If you had told her only a few months ago that she would be romantically involved with Sasuke, she would have kindly escorted you to a hospital. Clearly anyone who said such a thing must be overdosing on something or hallucinating. And yet, here they were.
"That's not the point. It amazes me that someone with a body like yours is so incredibly shy. But don't worry, I'll help you get over it." He says and bites down on her neck lightly.
"Nhh." She moans and squirms.
"My beautiful, innocent angel who dresses like a temptress for my birthday." He muses and Hinata felt something placed onto her neck.
Whatever it was, it was cool. Metallic perhaps? She looks down and sees it was a necklace with a golden chain and a ring on it? Hinata blinks and takes a closer look at it.
Her eyes widen. It couldn't be. Was that an engagement ring? It had to be. It was so beautiful and probably cost a small fortune.
"Sasuke?" She asks.
"I love you. I don't care what happened in the past. You're my present and future. I want to be with you, always. Will you marry me? I want to make it official." He asks and caresses her cheek.
"YES!" She cries out and turns around, tackling him with a hug.
The yes was so loud, that Sasuke wasn't the only one that heard it. Curious as to who was yelling, Neji follows the sound to the bathroom. He raises an eyebrow at the sign and open sit anyway.
He got an eyeful of his naked cousin tackling Sasuke. Hinata was hugging him closely. The young Hyuga saw that she was wearing a necklace that had a ring on it. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had just happened.
He quickly shuts the door. Neji loved his cousin. But he didn't have any desire to see said cousin naked or to intrude upon their privacy further. He wondered how Hiashi would take this news.
"What's going on?" Hanabi asks in confusion as she walks down the hall, seeing Neji standing outside the bathroom.
"Sasuke proposed to Hinata. She said yes. But be quiet. You mustn't make a scene. Let them have this moment. I'm sure they will tell everyone soon enough." The lavender eyed man beseeches his other cousin.
Hanabi's eyes widen. Sasuke had proposed to Hinata?! She accepted? But they hadn't even been dating that long. Nevermind, she could completely understand her elder sister's response. If someone who looked like Sasuke proposed to her, she would have said yes to!
"That's wonderful news. But how are we going to keep father from finding out about this before they are ready to tell him?" She asks.
Neji sighs. That was a very good question. He wished he had an actual answer for Hanabi. But honestly, he had no idea.
"We'll figure something out. For now, let's just give them their moment." He says with a smile and leads her off.
Meanwhile Tsunade was receiving Kurenai's latest mission report. She had always had a good relationship with the Genjutsu Mistress. It was a rare ninja in the Leaf that was actually professional without some strange personality quirk.
Guy was always going on about youth and wore green spandex. Kakashi was always late, a pervert, and wore a mask. Naruto was extremely energetic. Kiba and his Clan were just a little too obsessed with dogs in her opinion. Shikamaru was lazy. The list went on and on. Kurenai was one of the few "normal" ninjas in the village. So she appreciated that.
"It appears your mission was successful. Good job. Though I am curious why you look as though you are going to start laughing at any moment." Tsunade muses.
"Oh. It's nothing, My Lady. It's just a moment shared between student and teacher." She says with a smile.
"Which student? Kiba, Hinata, or Shino?" She inquires curiously.
She doubted it was Shino. That boy barely talked. Kiba wasn't known for introspection. So her first guess was Hinata. For once, her gamble paid off. Damn it. She knew that she should have purchased those lottery tickets today!
"Hinata." She answers.
"Is this about Sasuke in some way?" The blonde asks and raises an eyebrow.
Kurenai nods. She wasn't sure if she should tell Tsunade about the incident. It was private after all. But well she could probably give a generic version of it. She didn't want the Lady Hokage to worry over nothing after all.
"What happened?" The Hokage asks, almost afraid to voice her question at this point.
"She just wanted some advice for how to take his mind off things. He seemed a little blue. It must be difficult for him not to have his memories and to know his Clan is gone. He has no memory of them. The festival likely made him feel lonely." She replies.
"And what advice did you give her?" The other woman inquires.
Kurenai giggles. This causes Tsunade to raise an eyebrow. What could cause an experienced Jonin like Kurenai to giggle. Oh this must be good.
"I didn't really give her advice exactly, so much as a gift. Oh well I suppose it counts as advice. We all know that men have two heads. They generally can only think with one at a time." She explains.
Tsunade shakes her head. It seemed that Kurenai had given her shy student a push. She'd given her some encouragement to take their relationship to the next level, physically in some way.
"That much is true. Well I'm glad that she feels she can go to you for advice. Everyone needs that in their life. Someone they can count on to listen to them when they need counseling." She muses.
"Yes, everyone does. Is that why you and Hiashi are drinking buddies now?" Kurenai asks.
Tsunade just shakes her head. It seemed that Kurenai was capable of being just as mischievous as any of her students. Normally, that would be amusing, but this was her personal life. Her personal life should stay out of ninja business.
"My drinking habits aren't up for discussion. Do you truly think it's a good idea for them to be together? What if his memories come back and he leaves her? She would be crushed. They make such a cute couple now, but…" She trails off.
Kurenai sighs. She had worried the same thing time and time again. But she had come to the conclusion it was out of her hands.
"All we can do is wait and see. We can hardly forbid a relationship between two adults based on what might happen." Kurenai says.
"Exactly. Though the fact that Sasuke is planning to propose to her, certainly complicates things." Tsunade mutters.
Kurenai blinks. She couldn't have heard that correctly. Sasuke was planning to what?!
"Sasuke is going to propose?!" She asks in shock.
Tsunade nods. She knew it had shocked her. The blonde had been aware from the first day he was brought back that he was fond of Hinata. This Sasuke had a crush. But she hadn't thought that a crush would morph into a wedding proposal!
"It seems that way yes. He wanted access to his Clan's financial assets so he could buy a ring." Tsunade admits.
Kurenai blinks. He had actually bought a ring or was planning to? This was far more serious than she thought.
It was one thing for Hinata to model some lingerie for him. Even being his lover, wasn't unexpected. But to actually marry a man who didn't remember his life before a few months ago, that was taking quite a gamble.
"Do you think she'll say yes?" The Genjutsu Mistress asks.
"I don't know. I don't think Sasuke is the type to propose if he isn't sure of the answer though. I imagine she will." The busty blonde says and rubs her temples, sighing.
Kurenai blinks. It was just so hard to imagine. Hinata might be getting married! It was unbelievable. The poor girl fainted when Naruto even talked to her. Yet, she might marry one of the most feared ninjas in the Five Great Nations?! This was insanity.
"She does seem happy with him." She offers tentatively.
"Yes, it does appear to be entirely mutual at the moment. Still I can't help but worry about what might happen. What if he gets his memories back after they are married and thinks she tricked him into marriage? He could fly into a rage." The Fifth Hokage theorizes.
Kurenai gulps. Such a scenario would be completely disastrous. Hinata was strong. But she couldn't see the kind girl able to withstand the devastation of Sasuke's wrath.
His memories were still gone. They hadn't come back at all, as far as she knew. Was it possible that the amnesia was permanent? They might not have anything to worry about at all, if the case. It felt wrong to hope an amnesia patient never recovered. But she couldn't help but wish it anyway.
"Perhaps you should go and talk to her. You are her teacher. She trusts and respects you. Hinata is more likely to open up to you, than she would be to me." Tsunade reasons.
"Alright. I'll talk to her." Kurenai agrees and heads off.
Meanwhile back at the Hyuga Estate, Sasuke and Hinata begin to dry off. Sasuke helps Hinata find her clothes and begins dressing. Now that both had processed the fact they were engaged, reality was setting in.
"What are we going to tell my father and family?" Hinata asks.
"The truth. We're in love. I proposed. You accepted. It really shouldn't be that complicated. I've already lived here for months. I think your father likes me, as much as he likes anyone anyway." Sasuke says and places a hand on the bluenette's shoulder in a comforting fashion, not wanting her to worry over her family's reactions.
Hinata smiles. Sasuke had a way of making everything seem so simple. In his mind, apparently the world was very much black and white. She just hoped her father saw it that way.
"Alright. I guess there's no time like the present?" She offers tentatively.
Sasuke nods. They head off to the Hyuga Dining Room. It was almost dinner time. It would probably best easiest just to make the announcement in front of everyone, so they didn't have to explain it a few dozen times.
Not long after they arrive, the other Hyugas start filing in. Hinata and Sasuke sit close to Hiashi. Sasuke laces his fingers with Hinata's underneath the table as a show of solidarity. She smiles at him.
The Uchiha takes his glass of smacks it loudly with a spoon. He figured that was the best way to get their attention. If you made it sound like you were about to give a toast, people tended respond.
"Hiashi, do you mind if I make an announcement?" Sasuke asks, looking at his future father-in-law.
In Sasuke's mind, he was his future father-in-law. It didn't matter what the man said after he was informed of their engagement. He was going to marry his angel one way or another. And if that meant going against Hiashi's wishes, he'd do it. He just hoped it didn't come to that.
"Of course." He replies, eyes looking at Sasuke with undisguised curiosity.
"Thank you. EVERYONE, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE." Sasuke's voice bellows through the room.
Hiashi raises an eyebrow. Sasuke must have been taking notes. He had mastered the art of getting everyone to be quiet and delivering important news it seemed.
"Earlier today, I proposed to Hinata. She accepted. I know this may come as a shock since I haven't been here that long. But I love her. She loves me. I already view most of you as my family. You are the only family that I really remember." He murmurs.
Sasuke knew the word really was doing a lot of work in that sentence. It was just easier to allow everyone to assume he hadn't regained any of his memories. He didn't like keeping secrets from Hinata's family, but it was for the best.
A hush falls over the room. Everyone was in complete shock. You could have heard a pin drop. All eyes fall on Hiashi. They were clearly waiting to see his reaction before giving their own.
"I must say this is…unexpected. You two haven't been courting for very long." Hiashi mutters, equally as stunned as his kin.
"I know, father. But we love each other. Why wait?" Hinata asks.
Because you don't know if his memories will come back or not, this could end in disaster. That is why you should wait, Hiashi thinks to himself. Of course, he couldn't voice that concern out loud. It would only spook his fellow clansmen and the clanswomen in the room.
"Very well. I shall approve of this union. I know if I do not, that it's likely Sasuke will whisk you away somewhere and elope." He mutters half in amusement and half in annoyance.
"You're correct about that." Sasuke admits.
The other Hyuga's look at each other. Well Hiashi had approved of the match sort of. Cheers and well wishes soon erupt. Some of the well wishes were rather explicit. It seemed that some Hyugas thought they knew which sexual positions would result in conception and would determine the gender of their children. Advice that they were all too willing to give out.
Hinata blushes scarlet at some of these helpful suggestions. Sasuke shakes his head. He wraps his arm around his bashful lover and whispers into her ear.
"They meant well. Who would have thought that your Clan was filled with so many perverts?" He asks, chuckling into her ear.
"They are not perverts!" Hinata protests and then blushes more when one yells out some rather…detailed instructions on how to go about conceiving a son.
"You were saying, my angel?" Sasuke asks with a smirk.
"Alright. Maybe a few of them are. But they are just excited. There hasn't been a Main House wedding in a few years." She mumbles.
Sasuke nods. Well let them have their fun. Besides, some of the suggestions did sound interesting. He wondered if Hinata could actually bend that way? She was really flexible. It might be possible.
"Sasuke…" She says.
"Hmm?" Her lover replies, having heard her call out his name.
"You aren't actually listening to the suggestions are you?" Hinata asks.
"Well a few of them sound like they could be fun. " He whispers in her ear.
Hiashi sighs. Oh wonderful, now his Clan was discussing private matters out in the open. He really need to reign them in.
"THAT'S ENOUGH. I'm sure that Sasuke and Hinata are grateful for your well wishes, but there are CHILDREN present. So if some of you would bare that in mind, I would be most grateful." He thunders and suddenly the comments drift back to more innocent well wishes.
"You're father is really good at corralling them." Sasuke muses.
"Well he's had lots of practice." Hinata says with a smile.