Chapter 21: Fever.
Pairing(s): Naru/Sasu ; Gaa/Neji and Ita/Kisa)
Rating: M
Disclaimer: Naruto ... yeah I don't own it. It's the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto...that lucky genius.
Beta: Professionally Un-beta'd. I'm still awesome like that.
Fever.
That's exactly what Mikoto Uchiha had contracted seven days ago after witnessing the proposal. Wedding fever.
Sometimes in the middle of the night his phone would ring off the hook followed with the mumbling:
"...Red, white and blue traditional clan decorations ...or...no... no... pure white and silver...that's better... purity...although god knows my Sasuke is that pure...hundred percent China cutlery and sterling silver utensils... pure Egyptian linen... blown glass tableware...or...or...OR what if he wants a Japanese wedding? I'll have to dig into the family's vault...traditional samurai ...ebony chopsticks... basalt bowls..."
It went on for maybe half an hour before Mikoto realized she was on the line with her son. She was positively manic. If Sasuke hadn't known what a powerhouse his mom was he had just experienced it. The woman had ordered wedding catalogues from the agency that had done Princess Diana's wedding, for Buddha's sake! This madness HAD to stop.
Sasuke was going insane. It came to the point where he had to sit Mikoto down and slowly tell her: "Mother, the wedding isn't going to be next week..." he explained, "...we're taking our time...so please...calm down."
The small woman had sighed slumping down on the padded armchair, "I know baby...it's just...it's been a dream of mine to plan your wedding."
He arched an eyebrow at that, "Really...since when?"
She winced, "... since you were sixteen."
Damn... more than a decade ago...but, honestly, he should have expected that.
"You are going to plan everything mother," he consoled, "Just not right now; take your time; we're not rushing."
Her smile practically lit up the room, "Wonderful...honey...ummmm... how you feel about the Kohona's orchestra playing at the reception...and the-"
Sasuke mentally slapped himself. Round and around again.
"I don't fucking believe it!" Kiba shouted through the phone causing the diabetic dog he was about to inject releasing a litany of howls. "He said yes?"
"Are you deaf dog-breath...he said yes." Naruto replied holding his phone in one hand and flipping the frying pan with French toast in the other.
"When's the wedding."
"You sound just like his mother." Naruto replied, "There's not going to be one soon...it's called an engagement period...you should know...you've been in one for half a century."
"It's been two years moron...and that's just because the Hyuuga's want it to be perfect." Kiba counteracted.
"No," Naruto countered, "No... no... please stop fooling yourself...It's because they wanted Hinata to come to her senses and dump you for someone they approve of...someone with a double Ph.D. and a bankbook like Donald Trump."
"Screw you." Kiba shot back, "I still can't believe it...you're getting married."
Sliding the toast on the waiting plate Naruto replied; "You're making it sound like a fifty year prison sentence."
"To the Uchiha guy," Kiba retorted, "It IS!"
"Go to hell." Naruto replied, "You're just jealous that I'm getting more sex than you. He does this thing with his tou-"
"DUDE!" Kiba practically screamed, "TMI!"
"Anyways," Naruto said dousing the toast with syrup, diced strawberries and cinnamon, "I've been thinkin' abo-"
"Didn't I warn you about that," Kiba replied, "...your might hurt you fragile head."
"Shut it." Naruto shot back, "I've been thinking about getting my practicing license; after all, I'm not going to be playing football all my life and I don't want Milan to have a brain-dead dad."
"After marrying the Uchiha, you WILL be brain-dead." Kiba replied humorously. "But meh...get it. It's not like you don't tie our heads up enough."
"The thing is," the blond sighed, "... I want to be a good, responsible parent."
Kiba sobered, "Go for it man; you know I'm always in your corner."
"Thanks...shit-for-brains." He taunted.
"You're welcome, Connard!" he replied instantly, "Later yeah."
"Cool."
He had barely hung up when his phone was ringing again, it was Sasuke. A smile flitted across his face. "Hey babe," he answered, "What cha' wearing?"
"A Calvin Klein suit." Sasuke retorted, "... and Hugo Boss loafers I might shove up your ass after you explain why you told my mom that you wanted to see Cirque du Soleil."
"I was kidding." He replied blond brows reaching his hairline, "You mea-"
Sasuke grunted, "Yes, usurotankachi-no- baka; she was about to get them for the wedding."
Naruto whistled lowly, "Damn...I love your mom."
A snort reverberated through the phone, "Meet me for lunch at the French café in Central. We need to line out what exactly we want...personally I'm not up for a floorshow or a funhouse."
"Done." Naruto smiled, "... by the way; I know this awesome spot we can stop and have a quickie if you're interested."
A derisive snort was his answer.
"Love you too, honey."
(*)(*)(*)
"Sunlight doesn't agree with you," Naruto asked smiling, "Does it."
Sasuke was fully planning to have an authentic French style lunch in the coolness of the café interior. Meaning inside, under a magnificent invention called a roof to block out the cancer causing UV rays of sunlight, with wall to stop the cutting breeze and blown dust particles that took forever to get out of his hair, and a carpeted floor to rest his feet on; but no; Naruto demanded to sit outside, where all the elements he was painfully trying to avoid cruelly buffeted him.
"I hate you." He sniffed, sipping his ice-cold French coffee latte.
"Like I believe that." Naruto said, tilting his head back to absorb the rays of golden sunlight. Under his discomfort Sasuke's eyes roved over the face that was absolutely shining under the sun. His be-ringed left hand that was holding the styrofoam cup up to his face, and he completely forgot about the meeting the container his lips; he was just staring at the blonds face.
Pure serenity...Naruto looked totally serene.
"So," at Naruto's words he snapped out of it, "What are we going to talk about then?
He grunted, "The...wedding." he sighed, "Mother is going crazy...she thinks we want a huge royal wedding complete with six cannon salute, rising of the flags and a golden, pumpkin shaped chariot."
Peach lips quirked, a finger swiping the whipped cream off the coffee cake before him, "Do you?"
Sasuke was severely tempted to smack him upside the head. "Absolutely no, Baka!"
Naruto stuck the finger in his mouth and around the obstruction said, "Let's go with simple then."
"As in?"
"..How about a..."
Pale fingers were futilely trying to rub the tension out of his temples. After the café Sasuke had ventured back to his office to finalize some outstanding project. Then he had taken Mikoto out to dinner to discuss their final plans and then, exhausted, he turned up at Naruto's house with a satchel of papers, a bottle of rum and cartons of ice-cream.
If there was something he could attest to now was that drunken sex was amazing.
After about an hour of rest Naruto's arm had loosened to allow a little freedom, Sasuke had slipped under and out of the circle of arms and after grabbing a bathrobe, a bottle of water, had settled himself before a stack of papers and was set about to doggedly go through them by sunrise.
That was five hours ago; pinkish-orange was flittering through his window shade just as his phone began to ring.
Itachi.
"What?" he grunted.
"...Either you haven't had your morning coffee, or you were up all night burying a body," Itachi said, "Which is it?"
"Neither." He relented, "And I have a bone to pick with you Aniki... you KNEW about his daughter...didn't you?"
A sigh and a shuffle sounding like bed sheets, "Yes, I did."
"And you didn't have the mere..." he searched for a word, "...consideration to warn me?"
"Otouto...you need to figure out some things by yourself." Itachi relented, "Yes, it was cruel of me to not warn you, but you need to grow up."
Sasuke bristled, "...grow up?"
"Yes, Sasuke." Itachi intoned, "You needed to get out of you comfort zone and realize that the world doesn't go according to the best laid plans. All our lives we've been taught that we can control our lives... our environment...our future. You need to know that we don't have that power to dictate what everybody else does. It was a test little brother... I can't protect you from everything."
He was right damn it. "Fine," he acquiesced, "But I'm still mad at you."
"I can live with that."
"Daddy?" a sand riddled Milan asked tottering over to the Naruto who was seated on a poolside sun-chair while watching his daughter like a hawk. He reached over and hoisted her up on his lap.
"Yes, honey?" he asked.
Her piercing blue eyes met his and inwardly Naruto swallowed hard; damn this girl could rival Sasuke in sheer glare power. He cleared his throat again, "Honey?"
"Is Mr. Sasu going to be my 'nother mommy?"
Naruto doubled over laughing, "Milan, no...no...honey...Sasu...isn't going to be your...m...mommy." he stifled his twitching lips, "Your mommy is always going to be your mommy. Sasuke though...he's...just going to be daddy's...special friend."
'Friend' he knew was lame as shit but he wasn't going to scar his precious two years old innocence.
She nodded, "He's..." he face scrunched up trying to remember the word, "...boyfr..frfried?"
"Something like that honey." He said, balancing her body on his knees, "You do like Mr. Sasu, don't you."
Her nose wrinkled as she leaned on his chest. "He's scary... but I like him 'cause he likes you."
He internally released a mental breath. "I like him too; kiddo."
Milan twisted for a moment to look up at him then asked; "You going to have a baby?"
Naruto chocked on thin air. "Honey...no..." how was he going to explain this... "Baby...Sasuke is a boy...he can't have babies."
The look Milan gave him made him feel like a complete idiot. It was a basic 'duuuhhhhhh'. "I mean with som'one like mommy."
"I...We'll think about it okay..." he squinted, "I promise."
"Sasuke," Naruto said, nuzzling him softly, "Milan wants a sibling."
The Uchiha paused, "What... did... you... tell... her?"
"That we would talk about it." Naruto replied. "Do you want kids?"
Good damn question. He relaxed, "Maybe...in the meantime, can she settle for a cousin?"
Naruto stilled for a moment that sat up, the sheets slipping down to his waist, "You mean weasel-san is having... a kid?" the last part came out in a squeak.
"Yes." Sasuke murmured, "My big brother is having a child...scary isn't it."
Naruto shuddered, "Scary doesn't even..." a sigh "...even if that's the case... I think Milan is scarier."
"Absolutely." Sasuke agreed.
****** 8 am, the penthouse suites, the Lotus Hotel******
"Oh my." Mikoto said her hand at her bosom. "Hami, please contact my son."
The manservant looked up, "May I ask why?"
The woman just took up her copy of the newspaper. "This is why."
"...Oh dear." He murmured grabbing the phone.
The place was quiet.
Sasuke glanced up eyes narrowed. Why in hell was his office building imitating a morgue? He had just stepped in and was immediately treated to absolute silence and fluctuating looks, ranging from fright, salacious glances, (an intern office girl had actually winked at him,) and complete confusion.
He glared. Time seemed to snap back in motion and they scuttled out of his way.
"Haku." He asked pleasantly as he exited the elevator. "Can you explain to me why my employees are looking at me like I'm either the Grim Reaper or an archangel?"
Haku blushed, "Sir," he said, "I think you should look at this."
"At what Haku?"
He was calmly handed a newspaper. He shook it out and glaring back at him was a picture of himself and Naruto at the café, and the damn photographer just had to capture the pivotal moment when his left hand was raised with the coffee cup; blaring his engagement ring to the world.
He couldn't have time to swear before his phone rang. He already knew who it was.
"Hello father."
RUNS AWAY.
B.P.