Chapter 33: Dinner at the Hosu's.

Hinata and Temari lingered back, and Sakura noticed, but didn't understand why.

"Why are we doing this again?" Temari asked.

"He forced me to come," Hinata answered.

"How did he force you?"

Hinata blushed, and looked away, and Temari blushed, and looked away. Hinata smacked at her, and Temari grinned.

Sakura looked back at them. All three were wearing dresses; Temari and Sakura had their hair up, Tamari with a red ribbon, Sakura with a white one. Hinata wore her hair long; the ring sparkled on her finger. It appeared Hinata and Temari were lagging behind in an effort to avoid this dinner. Although both had dishes in their arms.

"What's wrong with you two?" Sakura asked.

They looked at each other, and slowed down a couple steps, and Sakura slowed with them.

"Mrs. Hosu… all she talks about…" They were three houses down from the Hosu's and the daylight had passed over the village hours ago- the effect of being at the bottom of a cliff, facing away from sunset.

Naruto ran forward and knocked.

"Sakura," Temari whispered, and pulled her close, with Hinata. "You and Sasuke have sex, right? You've talked about stuff like marriage, and babies, and-"

"Temari?! No. We… we…" Then, from behind her, light on the sidewalk from an opened door.

"Oh welcome, welcome," Mrs. Hosu said, and pulled everyone inside. She had thinning, poofy white hair, and wore blue trousers, a white, puffy blouse and a pearl necklace. Mr. Hosu greeted the men with his strongest handshake, and took them to the living room for a new cigar. They all sat around a table heavy with knick-knacks. Mr. Hosu pulled a cigar from his pocket, lit it, puffed once, then another long draw, and handed it to Shikamaru. Shikamaru couldn't be more pleased. However awkward it was having dinner here, these cigars made up for it. He couldn't be happier that Naruto and Hinata had found this nice old couple. He took a long, slow, heavy draw, and held the smoke, and tried not to let it escape his mouth or nose as he handed it to Sasuke. Sasuke looked at him suspiciously: Shikamaru had told him these cigars were joints with blue lotus and apple leaves, and Sasuke had never smoked blue lotus flowers. He studied the cigar, took a hit, and choked it out. He cleared his throat, then took a second hit, slowly, and held the smoke, and tasted it, and nodded approval. Naruto snatched it; he licked his lips and very gently, very easily, pulled at the cigar, inhaling smoke. He did better than last time, but still ended up choking and coughing.

They were called to dinner, and this time all the men entered with bloodshot eyes.

Sakura made curry, Hinata cucumber seaberry salad, Temari eggs fried with pork fat, and Shikamaru two cases of beer. And Mrs. Hosu made swordfish, oysters, biscuits, and sat a few jars of honey on the table. It was tight around the table in the small dining room. Theirs knees touched. Many framed and unframed photos of the Hosu family decorated the walls. Mr. and Mrs. Hosu sat at one end, Shikamaru and Temari opposite them. They talked and ate, and Mr. Hosu told them how there had been a pirate ship sighted off the coast they had never seen before, and how he had always dreamed of being a pirate, and Mrs. Hosu told them how recently a man with a sword had attacked some merchants one morning, and to be careful.

Sasuke was curious if the pirates ever did anything bad? No, they simply came ashore, and ate food and drank beer and bought supplies. It would be suicide for pirates to attack ocean villages- they needed them to survive. Pirates attacked other pirates, or ninja, or who knew what.

Mrs. Hosu finished eating, and went for a second plate of food, and noticed Hinata had finished hers, so brought back two. Hinata tried to turn it down, but Mrs. Hosu wouldn't hear of it. "Young lady, with breasts like yours, and the babies you're going to have, you need all the food you can get."

Sakura coughed, and blushed.

Hinata's eyes widened and her face turned red and she pulled her shoulders forward so her breasts didn't seem as large.

"So the more she eats…" Naruto mused, squeezing his hand in the air, as if around something. Something large, the men noticed.

She punched his leg.

"Are you working on that baby?" Mr. Hosu asked. "You have to bring him over."

Sakura choked, almost spitting her food out.

Hinata blushed even more. She really did like Mr. and Mrs. Hosu- they were kind and genuine people, but she was so embarrassed.

"Or her," Mrs. Hosu answered, and she looked from Hinata to Naruto and back. "I can't wait."

Mr. Hosu agreed, then, "Hinata, I believe your eyes have gotten even more beautiful," he said. They all stared at her. She hid her face in embarrassment. She couldn't be more embarrassed. What would they talk about next- breast feeding?

"They have," Naruto agreed. "Her eyes are beautiful at night, when the moon's out, and there's storms off in the distance, but they're most beautiful in the morning, at sunrise- that's when they really sparkle."

Hinata looked up at him- he was smiling warmly at her. What a beautiful compliment. No one in her life had ever complimented her eyes like that.

"Have you two decided? Girl, or boy?" Mrs. Hosu asked.

They were still looking at each other. He was smiling, and her face was furiously red. They held hands under the table. "We're thinking-" Hinata started.

"That we would like to have a big family," Naruto finished.

Temari smiled. How could she not. They didn't even bother trying to hide their love- free, and open, and so warm, even when it embarrassed them. Couples in the ninja world are taught to be discreet. There was nothing discreet about Naruto and Hinata's love.

"So wonderful," Mr. Hosu said, clapping his hands together.

Mrs. Hosu noticed Temari smiling. "Shikamaru, are you treating her well?"

"Yes."

"Temari? Is he?"

She looked at Shikamaru. He was patient with her, and funny, and sparred with her, and challenged her. And when they worked together, or talked, or when she leaned against him, or he held her hand, all she felt was comfort. She knew she was sometimes brash, and difficult, and moody, and he was strong enough, and smart enough, to handle her. Which felt good. It felt like he was perfectly fine her being imperfect. She was still afraid, a little, or at least she thought she was. She was beginning to wonder. Her body and thoughts kept wandering back to those kisses, and she found herself every hour they were awake wanting more kisses. "He is, Mrs. Hosu. He still leaves messes, and sometimes he's too distracted with work, and thinking about work. But he treats me very well." Temari blushed; she had caused herself to blush.

Shikamaru looked at her, at how beautiful she was, and took her hand, and held it.

Mrs. Hosu smiled. "And the babies?"

Sakura choked again.

Temari blushed even more.

"She's a factory worker now," Shikamaru replied, and patted her stomach as he went to the fridge. Naruto laughed out loud, which caused the blushing Temari to glare, and try to stomp his foot under the table.

Hinata giggled and snickered, and glanced at Temari's blush, and giggled more.

Shikamaru brought back armfuls of beer, and received an elbow when he sat.

"So tell me about you two," Mr. Hosu said, and waved a spoon at Sasuke and Sakura. "I think I've seen you a couple times," he said, to Sasuke.

"Well you know Sakura here is a basic, run of the mill nurse," Naruto answered, to be an ass. "And Sasuke is my best friend, and manages all the shipments for this village, and a couple others. He's also a bit of an ass, though."

Shikamaru spat laughter out of his nose and leaned into Sakura, and Hinata laughed at the look on Sasuke's face.

"You're lucky that was a good cigar and the beers are cold," Sasuke scowled.

Naruto laughed, and slurped down an oyster, then got up to get Hinata and Mrs. Hosu more food.

"And who's the other couple we've seen around?" Mrs. Hosu asked.

"That's Ino and… and Sai," Hinata answered. Naruto handed her another plate, and Mrs. Hosu. One smiled, one didn't.

"They couldn't come tonight?"

"Well…" Temari started, wondering if she should tell or not.

"They wanted to take a… take a vacation," Hinata answered. "They need alone time, sometimes."

"Love making vacation, it sounds like," Mr. Hosu mused, then, "Sakura, was it? You and Mr. Sasuke?"

Sakura wasn't sure what he was asking, or what to say, or how to respond. She was far off course in a small boat in a large sea. Too much talk of having babies. "We… we love each other…" and she grabbed Sasuke's hand for help.

"Every morning, and every night," he finished, not helping.

Sakura hacked, and Hinata and Temari blushed. What the hell was he doing? Shikamaru smiled. It was those damned cigars.

"That is wonderful," Mrs. Hosu exclaimed. "See, Shikamaru, this is how you need to love your woman."

"What? Don't drag me into this," and he held one hand up and cracked a beer open.

Naruto was putting honey on an oyster, and trying to feed it to Hinata. "Ask them how long they've been married," he said.

Mr. and Mrs. Hosu looked at Sasuke, and then Sakura. She was blushing. Her cheeks, her forehead, her neck. Her green eyes sparkled amidst a sea of embarrassment. "We… we're not… married."

Mr. Hosu looked at Mrs. Hosu, and their eyebrows rose in unison. "That's kind of exciting," Mr. Hosu said.

"Living in sin," Mrs. Hosu replied. "That's why there's so much passion. Is he passionate, Sakura?"

Sakura grabbed onto Sasuke for help; he looked perfectly calm, and relaxed. How? She needed him. "You answer," she whispered.

He leaned forward. "Of course I'm passionate. I'm the one who had the sword at-"

She slapped him, not across the face, but the chest, to silence him. It had been more abrupt and harder than she intended. She was still nearly lost.

He turned to her, and looked at her. "You're in trouble for that, little girl."

She slumped into her chair and turned and faced her food. She had hardly taken a bite yet.

"See there," Mrs. Hosu said. "It's easier to break the rules when you're already sinning. They can play with toys, do things in front of people- what does it matter? I think it's wonderful."

"It's pretty exciting," Mr. Hosu agreed.

"Toys?" Naruto asked.

"No!" Hinata said, and threw her hand over his mouth, and looked at him, wide eyed, pleading with him not to say any more. It was too late.

"You don't know about-" Mr. Hosu started.

"They're newlyweds, remember?" Mrs. Hosu said, and added. "Well there's lingerie, obviously."

"Oh yeah," Naruto said. "We have that."

Hinata and Temari coughed, and blushed. The heat had been turned on. Somewhere there was an iron stove burning ten dry pine logs and pouring heat through the house. The vents were pointing at them, and the heat hit them square in the face.

"Even something like this honey," Mrs. Hosu said.

"And what could Naruto and Hinata do with honey?" Shikamaru asked. Deflecting. The cigars made it so easy.

The Hosu's looked at each other. "Not just them, Shikamaru. You should try it too. For one, it's sweet and sticky," Mrs Hosu said.

"For two, it makes you drool."

The three men gave this thought- more thought than any of the women considered necessary. Sasuke was perhaps the most intrigued, and picked the jar up, and turned it in his hand, giving those statements the serious consideration they deserved. He opened the jar of honey, dipped his finger in, and offered it to Sakura. She shook her head no and pushed him away. He tried again. "No, Sasuke- get-" he smeared it on the side of her face, and then licked the rest off his own finger. His shirt was unbuttoned to his pants. Sakura glared at him, and wiped honey off the side of her face. Sasuke handed the jar to Shikamaru. Temari was fast to grab it and sit it out of his reach, near Hinata.

"But wouldn't it be sticky if it gets in your hair?" Shikamaru asked.

Temari, Hinata, and Sakura all looked at him wide-eyed; they had no idea what he was suggesting, and was having a hard time picturing anything remotely decent.

"Oh now that's getting adventurous. That's the way to rekindle an old marriage Shikamaru." He had no idea what they were intending them to do with honey, but clearly, if it ended up in your hair, you were doing something adventurous, upside down- it was hard to tell.

All three girls were the color of beets. Hinata in particular. She sank down, and pretended to eat, and pulled her hair over her face.

"Have either of you tied your wives up," Mrs. Hosu asked.

"No…" Naruto answered, and thought about it for a moment. The cigar hadn't made him dizzy like last time- this time he felt… philosophical. "Well, kinda on accident. But what would I do with her if-"

Hinata elbowed him- everyone saw. "No. You are not tying me up," she said, under her breath.

He heard, even if no one else did. "You know what, princess- I might."

She looked at him as if challenging him to a sparring match, and he looked back as if accepting her challenge.

Temari and Sakura choked on their drinks. They had heard both of them.

Sasuke leaned back, pleased. The food was good, the beer cold, the cigars strong, he had new ideas about honey- they needed a jar of honey at their house. And he had never seen Sakura this embarrassed before. Freckles were showing up on her cheeks he didn't know she had. "Do you happen to have another cigar, Mr. Hosu?" he asked. "I'll make it up to you."

"Oh you don't need to do that, Sasuke," Mrs. Hosu said. "He grows the stuff."

Shikamaru and Sasuke's eyes lit up.

"Those cigars are also good at keeping a man hard," Mrs. Hosu added.

The three men pondered this, and, again, the women blushed.

Mr. Hosu fetched one, lit it, and passed it to Sasuke, who puffed it a few times, then to Shikamaru, who did the same, then to Naruto, who tried to do the same. Temari reached out her hand to take a hit.

"Naruto, you should tie her up, even if she fights a little," Mr. Hosu continued. "Almost every woman likes to be man-handled. They like it rough."

"And tender," Mrs. Hosu said, "But I agree, Naruto. Catch her when you get home, and get to work on those babies."

"Well you know, there was one time," Naruto began- Hinata dropped her head, worried where this was going, "That I had every intention of kidnapping her- taking her from her home and running away with her."

"Is that right?" Mr. Hosu said.

Hinata blushed and grabbed his arm.

"Do your parents not approve of your marriage?"

"We… we only have one parent between the two of us. And no, he didn't approve, and still doesn't. She was in an arranged marriage, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let that happen."

Hinata smiled up at him, and though embarrassed, pulled his face down to hers and kissed his cheek, and held his hand tightly.

"Good, good," Mrs. Hosu said. "I'm positive you two were meant to be together, and if you don't have parents who approve, then consider us your parents. Because we approve. Any parent should be pleased. What do you want for your children if not happiness? That's first. Everything else, second."

"Thank… thank you."

"How many times have you two argued?" Mr. Hosu asked. "Since you've been together."

"Since… since we've been together?" Hinata asked, and looked at Naruto.

They raised their eyebrows, questioning each other.

"Once, just once, although we jab at each other a little," Naruto said.

"We have argued just… just once," Hinata said, "Although I've fussed… fussed at him a few times. But that argument is… is what-what-what brought us… us together."

Mrs. Hosu held her hand on her heart. She got up, and walked behind the two, and put her arms around them, and hugged them both. "I'm so happy for you two. We approve of your marriage."

Both Naruto and Hinata blushed, and hugged her back.

The evening finally ended. Again with songs and words of wisdom. The women were upstairs getting a tour of Mrs. Hosu's youngest daughter's lingerie collection. She never explained why she had it, here, of all places. Then Mrs. Hosu gave them a tour of the books and pictures on one of the shelfs.

Mr. Hosu sat with the men in the study. They drank beers, and smoked, and laughed, and had a very long conversation about being pirates, and how much fun that would be. Finally they had passed the nub of one final cigar around, and when it came back to Mr. Hosu, he said, "Young men." He had all their attention. "You can never tell your wives too often that you love them, or that they're beautiful, or that you depend on them." He looked at them, little tufts of white hair sticking up over his ears. He was thoughtful, and sad, suddenly. "She almost died on me a few years ago. We've been married for 42 years now." He paused, thinking, letting memories drift past his eyes. "How important is it really to say I love you, or you're beautiful, every single day? How important is it for your wife to know you need her?" He swallowed hard. "It is… very… important." He looked at each one of them, his eyes glistening. "It will hit you harder than anything you've ever felt when she's not at home, not beside you, not with you. After all these years- she is… my home. If you let even one day go without saying those words you will remember it, and it will hurt, worse than you've ever been hurt. Say it, every morning, and every night, and mean it. Right, Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke nodded, solemnly, wondering if his father was the type to listen to advice like this.

Shikamaru stood up. "Excuse me," he said, and went to the kitchen. He took Temari's arm, and quietly led her out the back door, apologizing to the others. He pulled her a few steps out into the alley.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Temari…"

"Yeah?"

"You're… beautiful."

She blushed, and looked down. "Thank you, Shik."

"Do you remember our kiss in the snow, and what you said?"

"Yes. No. Wait." She held her hands up. His memory was too good- what had she said? What was she about to agree to?

"It's one of those," he grinned, and took her hands in his. She couldn't escape this way. He pulled her close, and held her hands at her sides. There was no recoil left in her when he took her hands, or hugged her, or kissed her, but enough still left so that when they were intimate, and kissing, he could feel her pull back depending on where his hands touched.

She remembered. "I said I would prefer you use your arms for holding me, when you kissed me." Instead of his shadow.

He put one arm around her waist, and the other gently held the back of her neck, and pulled her close. He kissed her, and she kissed back, and finally put her arms around him. "You did say that, but that's not what I'm talking about."

She searched her mind. She had gotten mad because he was being stubborn and giving her a hard time about changing her conditions. She wanted to allow him to use his shadow jutsu on her- when he needed to, to help them. She couldn't think. The kiss was stealing her ability to form coherent thoughts. "You might have to tell me because-"

"I have three conditions, if you're going to stay with me."

If I'm going to stay with you? A line of fear ran over her eyes. He said he would never say goodbye again. "This is sudden. If I don't accept them?"

"Then I guess we have a problem being together."

Was he being serious? Or an ass? Or joking? She tried to swallow, and couldn't. "What… what if I can't accept your conditions."

He shrugged. "I'm positive you can."

"Ok. Tell me."

"One: I want you to try very, very hard to stop saying you're ruined, or wish you were normal. No more of that."

That wasn't really fair, or nice; she looked at him, and didn't answer.

"If you care even slightly about me, I need you to try. Please." His eyes were focused and piercing.

"Fine. I accept. I'll try." Was it that important? How many times had she said that? Not many. Except, for the normal part… that was fairly often. He associated the two. And, she realized, she did too. Why did it bother him?

Sakura saw from the window, and moved to the backdoor, and was going to call them in, but noticed Temari- she looked scared. She could only see Shikamaru's back.

Were her words hurting him? She went from afraid to sad to think she hurt him.

"Two: we sleep in the same bed from now on. Wear whatever you want."

Now she thought he was just being flippant. So far these conditions seemed pretty easy, and silly, if unfair. "Shik, really. I don't see any-"

"So I asked Hinata- about her shyness, and sleeping with Naruto. Temari- they were sleeping on top of each other within the first week of him getting back in town. So Hinata said that touching at night- arm, foot, ankle- whatever- she said it felt like it joined their spirits together. I thought about it. And I believe her."

"I'm not sure I-"

He knew what she was about to say. "I like to sleep naked. You can sleep in whatever you want, but we're sharing a bed. It's my second condition."

"Fine, Shikamaru, but it's stupid, and that doesn't mean you can fill me up every night. Oh- and we're sure as shit not doing that when we're sleeping in someone else's house or on a mission. And I know you don't sleep naked."

"And how would you know that?" he asked.

She blushed, and looked away. Truth be told, she wanted to sleep beside him, but, again, was too nervous and embarrassed.

Shikamaru smiled, and kissed the tip of her nose. Easy up till now. He was positive Temari actually wanted to sleep in the same bed, with him, beside him, but was letting nerves get the better of her. "Condition three: I'm sorry for this, but… If we're together, then I'm confronting your uncles one day."

"No. I told you they're dead. Nothing good will come from that. If that's your last condition then no. No." She pushed him, to get past him, and he didn't budge. She went to push him again and he caught her with his shadow, and very slowly finished moving her hand to his chest. "Let me go, Shik."

His shadow extended up her feet, her ankles, climbing to her knees.

"Shik, I'm not joking."

"You said if it helped me, and both of us, right?"

Sakura was aware, at the door, that if she moved just slightly from the frame, or just shut the door, Shikamaru's hold would be broken. She stayed put.

"Temari, I told you I was sorry. If I don't confront your uncles, I can't-"

"I told you no! How many times now? I don't want you killing them! I don't want you doing anything! You don't need to do anything except let me fucking go!"

"I'm not confronting them to kill them. I want to, but that's not it."

She paused her anger, but couldn't mute it. "Then what, Shik. .ru. Let. Me. Fucking. Go."

He ran his finger up and down the side of her face, tenderly. He still held her with his shadow. "They either need to pay for their crimes- through the laws of your village, and be jailed, or I need to look them in the eye, and make sure they understand, that I will outright slaughter them if they ever come around you again. I want them to be afraid."

"That's it? You want to threaten my stupid uncles? To make yourself feel better? More like a man?"

"That stung."

"I meant it to. Now let me go."

He took a slow breath. "I've been thinking lately about having kids-" that stopped her anger cold, and she felt his shadow pull away, "And having a family, and it makes me afraid of things that don't even exist yet, because I want a family. With you."

Her teal-blue eyes fluttered, like little moths around a street lamp. Kids? A family? With me? "Fearing what?"

"Losing that family. I need to know you're safe and protected, if I'm gone. I thought about having a kid, and then the family gatherings, and us standing beside each other, singing happy birthday or something, and your family there, and… and I can't do that, unless I know they're too afraid of me to come to a damned birthday party. They hurt you, and made you afraid. I'm at least going to make them afraid. Whether or not I hurt them depends on them, I guess, and you. Hopefully I can simply get them arrested, but I doubt it. Either way, I don't see any other way of having a future with you if I don't do that much."

She had to breathe. That was a lot. A family, which required sex, obviously, which required marriage, obviously. Birthday parties and kids, and being married, and building a life together. He's been thinking all that? The thoughts had crossed her mind, but she was mostly too afraid to consider them. "You're suggesting… an awful lot with that condition."

"I am. I won't go after them now. But the closer we get to being married, to having a child, celebrating a holiday, and inviting friends and family over, singing songs, eating cake, and making a family- the closer I get to killing them."

"You said threatening, or arresting them."

"Sorry. That's what I meant."

She couldn't help but smile and shake her head. She wanted to be angry that he used his shadow on her, she wanted to be angry that he brought her uncles up, but her body hugged him, and her arms went around him, and she locked her fingers together, and squeezed him, hard. "Fine. I accept your conditions." Her face was in his chest.

He smiled, and hugged her back.

She broke the hug and slapped him in the side a few times- his right side-the side without the scar- to push him away, to vent some steam, but her other arm wouldn't let her push him away- her body wanted to hold him. She relaxed in his arms, and held him, and with her other hand traced the scar through his clothes. A family, with Shikamaru- he was thinking that far ahead, and those thoughts included her. But they didn't include her fears, or her doubts. She slipped her hand under his shirt and traced the scar and laid her head on his chest.

"You need to stop with that too." He thought she traced the scar out of guilt, which made him think she was partially with him, out of guilt.

"I'm showing you affection, you ass. I'm not regretful."

"Really? I've been assuming it was guilt."

"This scar started us. It's over your head, you being a stupid man and all. It's not surprising you haven't noticed, but I've touched you here every day since that day."

He searched his mind, quickly, and every memory proved that to be true. He kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize. But I don't have anything of yours to touch- that started us."

She smiled back, and looked up, and pulled his mouth to hers, and kissed him, and tried to catch his tongue, to bite it. She did, gently enough, then kissed him again. "Touch me right here," she said, and brought his palm to her heart, and held it against her chest. "This is your start."

"I assumed it was guilt. I'm sorry."

"There's no guilt. I came with you because I wanted to. You're my best friend, Shik. I thought we were… a couple, for years. It… it hurt me to see you sad, and it really hurt to… to think I might never see you again. I didn't come with you to avoid marriages, or anything else; I came with you because… I was afraid of losing you. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. I'm hugging you, and kissing you, and I guess sleeping in the same bed with you, because I… love you. I've loved you for a long time- surely you could tell. I… I was just afraid, and I didn't know how we could've been together- being from different villages."

"We don't have to share a bed if you're nervous, or afraid."

She looked at him, and studied his eyes carefully. So much patience. "No. I am a little nervous, but it's something I also want. But you might have to be patient with me, ok?"

He nodded, and kissed her. "You always have my patience, strawberry."

She put her arms around him and held him, and they stood outside, holding each other, under the lamp light, until their friends came and got them.