"Well?" Kakashi draws out the word, expecting Sasuke to give in to his old sensei. "Aren't you supposed to be home?"

Sasuke sets the documents down in front of the Rokudaime Hokage-sama. "You're neck deep in work," he points out.

"Maa, maa, Sasuke-kun," says Kakashi, "Omegas tend to overthink, y'know? They also tend to hide when scared. We haven't seen Naruto-kun in a while,"

"He's due," says Sasuke simply as if that explains everything.

Kakashi runs through the papers Sasuke just gave him. "It's not because he's due," his tone is serious this time. He's learned his lesson with Iruka, and he won't let Sasuke make the same mistake again breaking Naruto's heart, even if it's fun fucking with his future son-in-law. He grabs a pen from a drawer. "We alphas most of the time, are content with the status quo. Never thinking what should be next, why would we when we've got the omega we want already right there? You're happy with what you have with my Naruto-kun, aren't you?"

"Of course,"

"So what's keeping you? You asked for his hand. You went to the jeweler's and the seamster last week," Kakashi knows because he has ANBU looking after them and writing reports about them. He writes down some notes on the edges of the first document handed to him.

"I… don't know…"

"Well, you better do it and do it soon. I'll have to remind you; I am your future father-in-law. That means I can threaten you even further for fun!"

Fuck. Sasuke can't believe he's getting another shovel talk. From another hokage. From the father, again. What is his life. Might as well make Naruto Konoha's crown princess at this point.

Kakashi signs the document and hands it over to him. "Shikamaru needs this for the documentation on the ANBU dispatched last night. Hand that over to him and go home to your mate, and I'll go make reservations for dinner tonight,"

"What? Why?" Sasuke looks up at the wall clock across the room. "It's ten,"

"Yes, it's put a ring on it-o'clock!" Kakashi's back to the sing-songy voice laced with threat, still writing on the documents in front of him. "Don't want any depressed omegas with a hokage for a father and a Sannin for grandmother around because they have dense alphas, do we?"

"But—"

"Sasuke-kun. Go."

So he goes.

"Ah, Uchiha-sama! You're back early," Kaede greets him with a bow. "Okaeri nasai mase,"

"Tadaima, Kaede-san," Sasuke removes his shoes at the genkan. "Where's Naruto?"

"In the bath, sir," she answers.

"I see," Sasuke hums as she removes his coat, then hangs it in the closet nearby. "I would like you to help him dress in that," he points to the box in the closet on the floor, almost hidden in the corner. "Please bring it to the living area,"

"Hai," she collects the box and sets it down on the coffee table and opens it. "Oh, Uchiha-sama, it's beautiful,"

"Please help Naruto into it. I'll also be changing clothes,"

"Yes, of course,"

"I'll be waiting in the garden," Sasuke leaves to get changed.

Naruto's shaken out of sleep. He's still in the water. He must have dozed off again for a while since the water's not as warm. He forgoes calling Kaede.

He gets up and slowly eases himself out of the tub, holding tightly onto the railings Sasuke had Kaede's son install to help with safety. Once safely stable on the soft rug beside the tub, he grabs the robe hanging from the hook nearby and pulls it on to avoid seeing himself naked in the mirror and dries his hair with a towel.

When he enters the bedroom from the ensuite bathroom, Sasuke's clothes, which were freshly pressed and folded, are on the bed. Kaede-san must've been putting them back in the closet. The Uchiha crest, embroidered in bright red and striking white on one of the dark shirts, taunts him.

He takes a breath, slow and deliberate, to keep himself from crying. Sasuke is about to arrive, and he can't let Sasuke see him being irrationally emotional, and he can't keep blaming hormones. What excuse can he give, when he sees the that red and white fan and he's ready to burst into tears?

Naruto sits at the bed, his back to the clothes sitting on Sasuke's side of the bed. He keeps breathing.

"Don't cry, don't cry," he whispers to himself, taking breaths as the tears start to fall. "You can't cry. You're happy, you're happy, Sasuke's happy,"

Is Sasuke happy?

"This is good. You're good. The baby is good. You're happy. You have enough. You can't be greedy. Greedy people lose good things. You already have the good things. You're content. You should be content. You have to be content,"

The knock on the door startles him, and hastily wipes the tears off his cheeks with the bathrobe sleeves.

"Hai, douzo," he calls. Come in.

"Naruto-sama?" the door cracks open and Kaede is at the threshold holding a large box. She notices the red rimmed eyes of her master's mate. "Are you alright?" she closes the door behind her.

"Hi, yes, I'm okay," Naruto sniffles, giving her a half-convincing smile. "Did you need anything?"

"Um," she says, unsure of what she'd just walked into. "Uchiha-sama asked me to dress you today," she sets the box down on the bed, and removes the cover, revealing the Uchiha crest on the back of a haori.

"Dress…me?" another gasp comes from Naruto as he peeks into the box. "Uso." You're lying.

"No," Kaede smiles at him and takes the delicate fabric out from the box.

The haori is dark blue, the crest in its usual bright red and white. The inner shirt, with a fabric cool to the touch, is white. The nagagi is a burnt orange and looks like it's hand woven. The hakama, the same dark navy as the haori.

It's gorgeous.

"I think it's been tailored to fit you, Naruto-sama," she lays the clothes out on the bed, then fetches some underwear for Naruto.

Naruto touches the fabric, then withdraws his hand. Why? Why dress him so formally? In such expensive clothes? He's only ever worn such formal dress during Kakashi's inauguration. And with the crest. "Are you sure? That's what he said?" he asks Kaede, who's at his dresser.

"Yes, Naruto-sama, he was very clear," Kaede hands him the underwear, and goes to fetch the hair dryer in the bathroom. She catches him staring at the clothes instead of dressing himself. "Are you… alright?"

"What?" Naruto looks at her, still holding the underwear. "Oh, yes, yes, of course,"

"Alright, well, let's get you dressed,"

Naruto's surprised when she leaves, then comes back moments later with a bowl containing ice. She's asking if Naruto wants to depuff his eyes from the crying.

"Would you like some ice for your eyes?" she asks. "Uchiha-sama is waiting, but we can take the time to prepare,"

Naruto takes the ice. They spend a few minutes cooling the evidence of a good cry from his eyes.

She then dries his hair, combs it as neat as she can, puts socks on Naruto, then puts the kimono on him layer by layer, getting more and more excited. "Oh, you look so handsome! How beautiful!" Kaede grins. "Uchiha-sama will be very pleased,"

Naruto blushes. He's never been called beautiful before. "Th-thank you,"

The hakama was altered to accommodate his middle, tied above the belly, under his breastbone rather than below on the hips on a non-carrying person, much like the kimono he wore at Kakashi's inauguration. It doesn't hide his bump but doesn't show it off either. It does slightly accentuate the swell of his breasts though.

He's wearing the Uchiha crest.

"Come! He's waiting," Kaede brings him out, careful to be near him so he wouldn't slip with the socks on.

Naruto sees Sasuke from the deck in the living room, standing by the near the tree Sasuke had Kaede's son built the garden around, near the small pond they plan to put koi in. He's also in the formal kimono like Naruto, only his nagagi is in grey.

"Sasuke…" he says, and Kaede assists him into a pair of zori, formal straw sandals, before helping him off the engawa and onto the pebbled lane leading to Sasuke by the pond.

"Don't you look dashing," Sasuke smiles, pulling Naruto to a kiss.

"I look like a whale," Naruto pouts. "And you look so good, how's that even possible, teme. So unfair, you're so handsome," he goes in for another kiss, and brushes his fingers through Sasuke's dark hair. "What's going on? What's with the fancy clothes? Are we going somewhere? And what are you doing here? What about Kakashi-sensei, you left him!"

"No, just felt like, dolling you up," Sasuke answers, ignoring the questions about his job. "Turn around for me?" he takes Naruto's hand, raises his arm, and twirls him like they're dancing. He's always wanted Naruto to wear the Uchiha crest.

"Sasuke," says Naruto, voice soft and unsure. "Is it really… is it really ok for me to wear your crest?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I mean…" the blond bites his lip. "I'm… not bitten. Not part of your clan,"

"Of course you are. Just not legally and formally yet," Sasuke's heart is beating so fast.

"You're sure? This is not disrespecting anybody is it?"

"You're asking that after defacing the Hokage Mountain?"

"That was a long time ago!" Naruto frowns at him.

"And who is there left to disrespect? I'm the only Uchiha around, I'm the head, and I want you to wear the crest,"

Naruto's eyes widen. "Really?"

"Of course," says Sasuke like it's obvious. "Of course I'd want my mate and the mother of my child to wear my crest. I'm going to marry him,"

The omega gasps.

"Naruto," Sasuke lifts Naruto's left hand, "Marry—"

"Yes,"

"—me," Sasuke almost chuckles when Naruto cuts him off.

"Yes," Naruto says again, eyes tearing up and breathless. Breathless from his heart pounding, from the excitement, from his emotions shaking his very soul, from the child's foot pressing into his lungs. "Yes!" he can't stop saying it since he's waited so long. He already even stopped hoping, yet here they are. "Yes!"

Sasuke reaches into his pocket and puts a ring on Naruto's left hand ring finger. It's a simple gold band.

Naruto cries at the sight of it, and he can barely hold it together when Sasuke prods him to put a ring on his own right hand ring finger.

"I'll never let you go," says Sasuke when the ring is on. They may have to remove it eventually since they're shinobi, but for now, it will stay on.

"I'll never let you leave," Naruto says back.

While Sasuke and Naruto are having tea and resting at the engawa a little later, Kaede interrupts them.

"Uchiha-sama,"

"Yes, Kaede-san?"

"The ANBU-san has delivered a letter from the Hokage-sama," she presents him with a tray containing a letter sealed with red wax with the Hatake clan rest, then disappears back into the house.

"I didn't know he had wax seals for his crest," Naruto wonders as Sasuke opens the letter.

"He's made reservations for tonight at…" Sasuke makes a confused face at the letter. "What is this place?"

Naruto peeks at the letter. "Tonight?! Why? How was he able to do that? People wait for weeks to get in there. That's a really fancy restaurant. I guess they can't decline the Hokage,"

"What? Why there?" he returns to the letter. "In function room number six…" Sasuke keeps on reading. "Oh. For our yuinou,"

The engagement dinner.

Sasuke remembers the passage in the book he's been reading.

An engagement is formalized with a yuinou, an engagement ceremony traditionally held at the bride's childhood home, where meaningful gifts are exchanged between the family of the omega and the alpha. Or for those who are less traditional, the yuinou may be casually held at a function room at a restaurant with or without the ceremonial gift giving. The bride may wear the traditional furisode or their best hakama at the yuinou.

"Wait, how did he know you proposed?"

Sasuke lets a few seconds pass before answering. "I… told him. I asked for your hand a while ago,"

Naruto stares at him. "You did?"

"Yes," Sasuke's nose and cheeks turn a light pink.

"You did!" Naruto's crying again.

Sasuke smiles at the blond fondly, then pulls him into an embrace. "Of course I'd ask your dad for your hand. What kind of ill-bred alpha would I be if I didn't?"

"I don't know!" Naruto hiccups. "I thought that stuff only happens on TV!"

"Well, I assure you, clans take marriage and weddings very seriously,"

"I didn't know you were a romantic, teme! What were you doing just making out with me and fucking me at night under trees! In caves! On the ground! In the grass!"

"I'll make it up to you," Sasuke takes Naruto's hand and kisses the finger with the ring. "Might be a little backwards, but I asked your dad for permission to continue courtship up until the wedding date,"

"You're gonna take me out on dates!" Naruto stabs Sasuke's shoulder with a finger, all while sobbing. "And we're gonna go to the park and walk and give me flowers!"

"I'll take you out on all the dates you want, dobe," Sasuke chuckles. "We can even take Akihiko with us,"

The image of having their baby with them while they spent time together makes Naruto cry harder. "Akihiko is going to be so cute and handsome just like you!"

"Uchiha-sama, Naruto-sama, is everything alright?" Kaede asks as she approaches the engawa, having heard Naruto's cries from deeper in the house.

"We're alright," says Sasuke, patting Naruto's back.

She nods and leaves.

Later, Naruto's reduced to sniffles. "Now my eyes are all swollen, and I'll be ugly at our engagement dinner,"

"You look absolutely beautiful," Sasuke kisses his forehead.

To keep the engagement hush hush but not necessarily a secret, nothing is posted outside the function room. Whispers fly as they enter the restaurant with the Uchiha crest bright and proud on Naruto's back.

Naruto greets his parent-teachers with hugs and again tears are shed by the hormonal and pregnant omega once the congratulations are given.

The engagement dinner is a simple affair, except for the gifts. Kakashi got them literally everything listed in that book Sasuke's been reading over and over again. Naruto asks what they do with it. The money of course, they buy sake with as per the tradition. The non-perishable items, Sasuke plans on turning into wall decoration, the perishable ones they'd eat.

Sasuke asks Kakashi about the dowry over dishes of sake while Iruka tries to pry the 3rd mango shortcake slice away from Naruto.

"There's no need," says Kakashi, pouring himself a dish.

Sasuke doesn't know how to react to it.

"It's not something enforced, Sasuke-kun," says the Hokage, "Between two clan heads, you think I'd have need for any more money? I already have more than I know what to do with," he sips half of the dish he poured. "That's why I'm giving all of it to Naruto,"

"I see,"

Kakashi lowers his voice. "If it matters to you since you probably read the same book I read when I decided to marry Iruka, put that money into building yourself a better home. Or you know, buy Naruto something that's not orange,"

Sasuke finds himself giving Kakashi an agreeable huff. "The fan doesn't go well with orange,"

"The burnt orange is nice, though,"

"I should probably burn the others, too,"

Kakashi snorts. "To the unification of clans," he raises his dish and Sasuke follows.

"Kanpai," Cheers.

After the yuinou, alpha Uchiha Sasuke and omega Uzumaki Naruto are officially engaged. (1)

Notes:

(1) traditionally, two people aren't officially engaged until after the engagement dinner happens. so for example, if someone accepts another proposal and they invite friends to their engagement dinner, they can say "i'm getting engaged next month" or something like that.

this was supposed to be longer, but the scene after the engagement dinner didn't fit the whole vibe of the chapter.

ok so i know i have notes as long as the fic but i beg you to bear with me here. because i'm sure many will wonder why sasuke didn't kneel like the western type of proposal.

i did not use the 'get on one knee' proposal because i consider/see naruto as a whole/series to be like, somewhat historical. naruto also had daimyou, which are feudal lords. back then when these feudal lords ruled over shogunate japan, marriages, especially high ranking marriages (like, for example, sasuke as a head of a prominent and powerful clan who is also a shinobi who serves a village that the daimyou can call for help) were supposed to be blessed with the permission of the shogunate to marry. because marriages foremost are political and procreational, to gather and merge power, make connections, and protect the dynasty, and also obtain the highest rank the lineage allows. they did not do the romance thing. A proverb said, "Those who come together in passion stay together in tears." Tamura, The Japanese Bride.

daimyou are gone now. they became the kazoku (華族) which was the peerage of japan. the peerage of japan is now abolished. only the imperial family hold titles.

this historical perspective i have on naruto is also why there isn't much of "technology" in this story even though i know during the start they'd already been using some tech, and that kakashi had developed konoha technologically before passing the hat to naruto.

as for this fic is also why sasuke did not "ask" naruto to marry him, i think he'd be the type to just tell naruto to marry him. though i don't think it made the scene any less romantic! i don't think historical japan knelt for the hand of their beloved (though the kneeling to propose started because men wanted to emulate knights to knelt to the woman they swore to serve). i also thought of using something less direct, a soft proposal, like, "spend the rest of your life with me" or "let's become a family" or "i want to eat your cooking everyday" or the ever romantic "the moon is beautiful" (sasuke proposed at noon tho so that made no sense) but i think sasuke wouldn't be so vague. he'd say it flat right out. also they didn't have rings back then probably. though shinto weddings now use rings. so i used rings!

this is also why for me, it makes sense for kakashi to adopt naruto to declare him an heir, and why the thinks naruto will continue his line despite marrying into another clan, to continue his dynasty even though he's not biologically his. the fact that he's passed on his name means that he's passed on his dynasty and the Hatake name will merge with the Uchiha instead of die with him. look this is all just me rambling about some history that fascinates me.

that's enough chatter from me. thank you for your patience and i hope you enjoyed this chapter!