Passionate Kisses

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. This is likely going to be a "fluff" chapter. People were really requesting some warm and fuzzy, parental bonding scenes. So I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 21

Hinata was now five months pregnant and while she hadn't exactly ballooned yet, it was no longer possible to hide that fact. Every single day that she looked in the mirror, it just felt strange. Her normally flat stomach was definitely not flat anymore.

"I don't know what you're fretting about." Sasuke sneaks up behind her, causing the Uchiha woman to squeak as he wraps his arms around Hinata protectively. "You're beautiful."

Sasuke was capable of being sweet. Very sweet. Just in a more blunt way than Itachi. "Yes, you are." He smiles and walks over, kissing her cheek. "You're glowing as they say." The man could turn even the most mundane expression into something extremely profound.

Hinata wasn't really sure how he did it. She supposed it had something to do with the slightly lilting tone to his voice. They both had almost hypnotic voices, even when they were angry.

Fortunately, that anger never really seemed to be directed at her. In Sasuke's case, it was mostly at Naruto. For Itachi, well…sometimes he would lose his patience with his friend's curiosity. Kisame asked a lot of questions. (Most of which, made Hinata blush as red as one of Sasuke's tomatoes, but she digressed).

"Thank you." She smiles and leans into them.

Sasuke was definitely overjoyed by her pregnancy. She half expected the younger Uchiha Brother to start doing cartwheels at some point. Itachi was also thrilled in his own way. His quiet smiles and tender kisses said it all.

Though God help this village, if she stubbed her toe or something while she was pregnant. She wasn't sure who would be more terrifying in that moment. Sasuke or Itachi. It was a tough call.

Itachi lightly nips at her collarbone. "If we didn't have a doctor's appointment in a few minutes, I'm certain that we could cure you of this unnecessary anxiety about your physical appearance."

Yep. There was that way with words. In Itachiese, a very complex language by the way, that meant the following: "If we didn't have to go to the doctor's, my brother and I would be more than delighted to screw your brains out."

This was Itachi though. So he wouldn't come out and describe sex in such a casual way. Then again, Hinata doubted that he would say anything casually. The man was elegance personified.

"Maybe, afterwards then." Sasuke smirks and kisses her cheek.

Sasuke was elegance personified on the battlefield, when he didn't lose his temper. Which happened far more than Itachi did. Off the battlefield, well the younger Uchiha Brother was surprisingly open in his actions and thoughts. (At least when it came to her).

If he was happy, he let you know it. If he was irritated, the same rule applied. If he felt sad or was drifting back into his older patterns of thoughts, well Hinata could tell. Those were the moments when he would become really quiet. (And the ones that worried her most).

She giggles. "Mmm I don't know if we should." The expectant mother looks down at her stomach. "Wouldn't that hurt the baby? I'm a lot further along now."

Itachi had those moments as well. Though he was better at hiding them. Which really wasn't a good thing.

He probably did it because he wanted to "protect" them. Protect Hinata and Sasuke from his darker thoughts. One didn't go through what Itachi Uchiha had without there being some serious psychological scars. She did her best to try to heal them, but they were still there. Every once in awhile, she saw a flicker of them.

"Mmm I guess they haven't trained you in how to care for pregnant women yet." Hinata glances back at Itachi was he chuckles at her. "As in most things, it's about moderation. Sex can actually be a good thing for pregnant women."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at Itachi and Hinata tries her best not to laugh at that expression. It was funny how she used to view him as stoic, when in reality he was anything but. His face was very expressive when he let his guard down.

Quite simply Sasuke + Emotion = Priceless. Itachi's face was far more subtle, but that just made his small expressions even more noticeable. Idly, she wondered if that was an Uchiha Trait in general or just something unique to the brothers.

"Do I even want to know how you know that?" Sasuke glances at Itachi.

Itachi shrugs. "Foolish little brother. Our wife is pregnant." Obviously. "It's only natural that one would research such things when their wife is expecting."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. Hinata could tell that he was less than convinced by that explanation. Oh boy.

"You're starting to sound like Jirayia." The younger Uchiha Brother snorts.

Itachi chuckles in response. "He was a great man, but as I was saying. It relieves anxiety." Uh huh. "Stimulates bonding." Oh something was stimulated alright. "And can have the benefit of making labor easier in the long-term." He probably made that up.

Hinata was going to have to look into this matter. She wasn't entirely sure if Itachi was teasing them or being serious. Though it was a bit disturbing that Itachi might actually know more about her body at the moment than she did.

"Whatever you say. Come on, we've got an appointment to get to." Sasuke smiles at Hinata and wraps his arms around her tighter.

Itachi does the same. With that, the three of them Flickered off to the hospital.

Meanwhile back at the Hyuga Estate, Hiashi Hyuga was not a happy man. He was a man who had a lot on his mind and it must have shown. His youngest daughter had noticed.

"Father, what's wrong?" Hanabi looks up at him with concerned eyes.

He didn't like lying, especially not to them. "It's complicated." There were occasions when it was necessary. This wasn't one of those times.

Hanabi looks at him as she tilts her head to the side. Such a vague answer was obviously not going to satisfy her. She had always been a bit more pushy than her elder sister in that respect.

Hiashi honestly didn't know, if that was a blessing or a curse. He supposed it was a bit of both. Hanabi was more aggressive than most of her fellow Hyugas. That was for sure.

He sighs. "The Daimyo has sent me a letter." That much was the truth.

"What'd it say?" It was such a simple question, but one without a simple answer. "Was it bad?" Another simple question without an easy answer. Hanabi was on a roll today.

He glances around the beautiful training grounds of the Hyuga Estate. They were almost unrivaled. Though he knew that Sasuke and Itachi had been working on restoring the Uchiha District. They'd be rivaled again shortly.

Speaking of restorations, Hinata was already five months pregnant. The Daimyo must have heard about it and that was why he was sending Hiashi this letter. To say the least, this matter needed to be handled delicately.

"Not exactly. He wants a Noble Child to marry your sister's son or daughter someday." There was no need to lie to the girl.

Hanabi looks at him in confusion. "But Hinata hasn't even had them yet. They're way too little." That was true.

Hmm. How did he explain this to his rather young and impressionable daughter? "They mean for the future. Sometimes Betrothal Contracts are drawn up years in advance."

That explanation should do the trick. Though Hiashi apparently hadn't calculated just how curious the other Hyuga could be. She wasn't satisfied with such a simple answer.

"How do you know, if the children will like each other though?" That was a very good question and one that made him feel awkward to say the least.

He sighs. "Well it's a gamble, but sometimes the parents feel it's a gamble worth taking." Like he had.

Hanabi frowns. The young woman looked less than convinced, but goes back to practicing her Gentle Fist Technique. Thankfully, training took priority over philosophical questions for the moment.

"Balance the weight of your body more evenly." While he couldn't give her the easy answers she was seeking, Hiashi Hyuga could at least give her the training that she would need to survive out in the field.

If nothing else, he could give her that. This would be so much easier, if Emiko hadn't died. His wife would have known the best way to handle such awkward questions.

Hiashi was not a man who was used to having his authority challenged. Hanabi was young, but he could already see that she was going to be handful. He gave it a year or two before she started openly challenging him. Damn it.

She smiles at him. "Yes, father!" For now though, he was still her idol. Hopefully, in the next couple years he would come up with a better way to deal with her naturally inquisitive nature. He could only hope.

A few minutes later, Hinata had arrived at the hospital with her husbands. She was currently sitting on the exam table as Tsuande checked her vitals. Itachi and Sasuke were watching her like a hawk.

"This would go so much easier, if the two of you would simply stop glaring at me." Tsunade sighs.

Hinata shakes her head when the Uchiha Brothers didn't even have the decency to look sheepish. Maybe, by the time her second pregnancy rolled around…they'd be less intense. Honestly, what did they think Tsunade was actually going to do to her or the baby?

Itachi decides to ignore her comment in favor of asking a question. "She's five months along." Tsunade nods in confirmation. "We should be able to determine the child's gender by now. Shouldn't we?"

Hinata giggles. She would have thought that Sasuke would be the one asking that question. Itachi was just full of surprises it seemed.

"Yes, we should be able to." The busty blonde pauses for a moment. "That's not always the case. So please don't get your hopes up too high." Another pause. "Are the three of you sure that you want to know? Some people prefer to be surprised."

Sasuke shakes his head as he looks at Hinata. It was rather obvious that her lovers would prefer to know and well, the bluenette couldn't lie. She was curious as well.

She smiles reassuringly at Tsunade. "I think that we would all like to know." The last thing she needed was for her husbands to scare her medic to death.

Of course, this was Tsunade. It was highly unlikely that was actually going to happen. Still, Hinata supposed that it was better safe than sorry.

"Alright." She smirks. "I warn you that this gel is very cold."

Hinata didn't think that was going to be an issue. She was a ninja. She could handle some cold.

"That's fine." The Uchiha Matriarch smiles at her. "I don't mind."

Tsunade chuckles and sets up the ultrasound. As soon as the gel touched Hinata's belly, she jumped. That wasn't cold. That was ice cold!

The medic looks over at the screen. "Mmm. Well you can't say that I didn't warn you. Now, let's see what you've got here today." She smiles.

Sasuke smiles at he looks at the screen. Itachi's eyes were just as glued to it though. The younger Uchiha Brother didn't have to look back to know that much.

"It's going to be a girl." Itachi places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. It was a fifty-fifty shot. It was either a girl or a boy. He had no idea why his brother sounded so damn certain that it was going to be a girl. Still, well the odds were somewhat in his favor.

He shakes his head. "It's going to be a boy." It was silly, but Sasuke actually had a realistic chance of "beating" Itachi at something here. He was going to take it.

Not that he particularly cared, if it was a boy or girl. They had a Clan to restore. Sooner or later, Sasuke was reasonably confident that they'd get at least one of each gender. That didn't mean that he wasn't going to take this chance though!

Hinata looks at them in disbelief. "I can't believe you two are betting on the gender of our child." Sasuke just shrugs.

"Sorry, My Queen." Itachi chuckles and kisses her forehead. "Sibling rivalry is a powerful thing."

Tsunade raises an eyebrow at the endearment and looks back at the screen. Sasuke could tell what she was thinking. She was worried about what their child would be capable of and most likely hoping that their child would take after Hinata in terms of personality.

Sadly, Sasuke couldn't blame her. If that's what the busty medic was thinking, the Leaf and world would probably be better off. It'd be better off, if their son or daughter took after Hinata. She was far gentler than they were.

"Right. Hmm." Tsunade adjusts the screen a bit and blinks.

Well most of the time. God help anyone that came between Hinata and her ice cream. That would likely result in a Gentle Fist to your dick, if you didn't dodge quickly. (Though he hoped those attempts had been half-hearted).

"Well…I knew she had doubled up on husbands. I just didn't expect her to double up on her pregnancy." Tsunade blinks again.

Itachi tilts his head to the side. "Tsunade, would you mind clarifying?"

He was likely thinking the same thing as Hinata and Sasuke. Pauses like that generally weren't a good thing, but Tsunade didn't seem upset. More like shocked.

"Oh right. I'm sorry." She sighs. "I didn't mean to scare anyone. It seems that you're expecting twins." Tsunade says with a smile.

THUD! It was just too much for Itachi to process. It was one thing to know he was going to be a father or an uncle. He was still processing that, it was another to know that their wife was expecting twins.

"Itachi!" Sasuke's and Hinata's eyes widen in a panic.

Tsunade rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Don't worry. That happens to first time fathers sometimes." She reaches down and helps Itachi regain consciousness.

Five minutes later, a very dazed looking Uchiha wakes up. "I had the strangest dream." He looks around in confusion. "I dreamed that Hinata was having twins."

"Itachi, that wasn't a dream." Hinata smiles at him. "I am."

Oh! She really was. Well maybe, he should have expected that. After all, Hinata's father was a twin, but still. For some reason, the revelation really shocked him.

Sasuke looks at him anxiously. "Are you alright?"

Itachi couldn't really blame Sasuke for being anxious. It wasn't every day that he fainted. Actually, the elder Uchiha Brother couldn't remember when the last time had been that he fainted that wasn't related to his previous illness.

"I'm alright. I was just…surprised." He smiles and kisses Hinata's cheek. "In a good way though. My apologies for interrupting." This was a bit awkward. "Shall we continue?"

Tsunade nods. "Very well. As I was saying, she's expecting twins."

Hinata squeaks and looks a little panicked at that. "Don't worry. There are no Branch Members in our family." Sasuke caresses her cheek.

That was true. The Uchihas had never followed that system and if Itachi had anything to say about it, they never would. He wasn't going to subject one of their children or any other Uchihas to such a barbaric system based on something as arbitrary as whether you were from the eldest line or not. That was just setting your Clan up for disaster.

Of course, their own Clan had fallen. It hadn't been because of the Branch System, but still. Itachi knew that they would have to tread very carefully to ensure that it never happened again. He wouldn't allow it.

"I k-know. Tsunade, what are we having?" Hinata smiles at the other woman encouragingly.

"A girl." The blonde woman says and Itachi shoots Sasuke a smug look.

Sasuke rolls his eyes at his brother's look. "A girl? There are two of them though." Itachi didn't care though. He had been right.

The former criminal knew that it was ridiculous to be as smug about that fact as he was. Still, he couldn't help it. Itachi supposed that it was just one of those things. An instinct. There was no point in feeling embarrassed about it. It was a natural impulse. Fatherly (or unclely) pride.

"I'm still looking. The second one is a bit shyer." Ah that one must take after Hinata then. "Squirming around a lot." And Sasuke.

Sasuke was definitely a squirmer. Itachi smiles as he fondly remembers how much the younger man would squirm on his shoulders during the piggyback rides that he used to give him.

Hinata giggles and watches curiously. He wondered how she felt about expecting twins. She had sounded a little intimidated, but that was to be expected to a certain degree.

Being a first time mother wasn't easy. "Interesting how their personalities are already being displayed in the womb." Being a first time mother who was expecting twins though, well that was even harder.

There was also her family history to consider. Twins generally weren't a good thing in the Hyuga Household. It meant that one twin was going to be punished for being born second for their entire life. Sometimes mere minutes could determine their entire fate. It was tragic.

Cruel and utterly barbaric. Itachi wouldn't let that happen to either of their twins though. He knew that Sasuke felt he same way and so did Hinata. Things would be different this time around.

"Yes, it is." Tsunade smiles and then smirks. "Finally! It looks like you're having fraternal twins. A boy and a girl."

Sasuke shoots Itachi a smug look and the elder Uchiha sighs. "Yes, you were right. So was I though." He wasn't going to allow Sasuke to lord this "victory" over him that easily!

Hinata shakes her head in amusement as she pats her stomach gently. It was rather obvious that their lover was quite amused by all of this.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." She smiles at the other woman.

The blonde nods her head in understanding. "As far as I can tell both are developing normally. Do take it easy though. Twin pregnancies can be quite demanding."

The Uchiha Brothers didn't need to be told twice. They quickly thank Tsunade and head off with Hinata. It didn't take them long to get back to the District.

"She said that Twin Pregnancies can be more demanding." Hinata stares at them warily. "She didn't say that it would make me a cripple."

Sasuke nods. "I know." He knew that, but that didn't meant that he was going to take any chances. "Just be a good Hinata and let us spoil you and our babies." He smiles and sets her on the bed, kissing her stomach afterwards.

Itachi nods. Wonderful. They were teaming up against her again. Hinata was really glad that they had reconciled and everything, but sometimes she was a little outnumbered.

"Humor him." Like now, for instance. Itachi was obviously of a similar mind to his younger brother when it came to this topic. "He just wants to spoil you, our Prince, and our little Princess." Uh huh. "That's not so bad. Is it?"

Well when he put it like that, she felt a bit guilty for being so startled. They were just doing what any expectant father would do. Worrying over their wife and children. Well any good expectant father anyway.

"I guess not." She sighs. "Just try not to go overboard."

She knew that was a lost cause though. These two had more reasons than most to be overprotective. Honestly, she knew that they meant well.

It was just that Hinata Uchiha was a ninja. She was a Jonin. She could take care of herself. She'd just have to make them see that. Somehow. The young woman just wasn't sure how yet.

Itachi chuckles. "You don't honestly believe that there is any scenario where we aren't going to go overboard?" He chuckles again. "As you so tactfully put it?" That was a fair point.

Hinata knew that it was a futile effort. She was carrying their children (or at least their niece and nephew). It was only natural that they would feel anxious and overprotective.

She just hoped that they wouldn't drive her absolutely insane in the process. Well it was only for four more months, Hinata tries to reassure herself. How bad could it possibly get?

"No, but it was worth a try." She sighs.

Itachi smiles and rubs her rounded belly. "Yes, I suppose so. We're going to need to come up with names for them." He tilts his head thoughtfully.

Sasuke nods and his hand soon joins Itachi's. It looked like her stomach was now prime real estate. Well at least they weren't fighting over their petting rights.

The twins seemed more than happy at the attention though. Hinata blinks as she feels them kick. They were kicking!

"Sasuke, did you feel that?" Itachi glances at his brother curiously.

The younger Uchiha male nods his head. He blinks. It was a bit funny to see their reactions in all honesty. They both looked at her as if she had grown another head or something.

"It was the twins." Hinata smiles. "They're just saying hello in their own unique way." She giggles.

Sasuke nods. "Taijutsu Specialists in the making." He smirks.

He wasn't the only one experiencing some fatherly pride though. Itachi apparently felt it necessary to weigh in as well. After all, it was a momentous occasion. Their babies' first kicks.

"Hopefully, without Guy's and Lee's love of spandex and strange haircuts." He smirks and with that, the Uchihas all burst out laughing.

The image of any Uchiha in green spandex was…a bizarre one. It was quite simply impossible not to laugh at that idea. Well at least they were one big and happy family, Hinata thinks to herself as she indulges in some cuddling with her two gorgeous, but extremely overprotective husbands. They were probably going to drive her insane until the twins were born, but she loved them anyway.