I need to start this chapter off with a warning: it has a slight citric center. Actually, it's citric all over the place. I don't usually write lemons or limes, so I don't go too far in this ficlet, but there are definitely some heavy handed hints at "adult situations." I try to keep my audience broad, but I really wanted to write this chapter, and the story just doesn't work with a PG rating. So, enjoy at your own risk?

Kage

Naruto glanced at the clock for the fifth time in less than an hour, each time angrier and angrier at what the hands signaled. He didn't know why he kept looking. He knew he would never make it back home in time. This damn report had no end. And yet he had to finish it; he knew he had to do this today. City ordinance had been waiting on him for a week to approve this project and there were people without homes who needed this report done, unfortunately for his wife, on Valentine's day.

He allowed himself a moment of wishful thinking as he gazed at the photo of her on his desk. It was not one where she was especially well groomed. No, much to Hinata's dismay he had chosen for his desk a picture of her the morning after her first A-class mission. His wife was a beautiful woman, but for some reason on that morning as she woke up beside him, with dirt on her face, and hair in a mess and even a little spit on her bottom lip, she was miraculous.

He would have given anything to be there with her now. His brows furrowed.

~~o*o~~

Hinata looked in the mirror one final time before taking off the earrings she had put on for tonight. Going over to Sakura's house wouldn't require her amethyst pendant either. Earlier that evening Sakura had volunteered to host Bolt and Himawari for Valentines evening so Naruto and Hinata could do something special. It tugged on Hinata's heart that Sakura herself was not doing anything today. Then again, Sasuke had never been big on holidays. But after having seen Udon at her doorstep she already knew what her "special" evening had become. Naruto would not be coming, and if both she and Sakura were to spend the day without their significant others it might as well be in the company of friends.

So Hinata would join in on the sleepover and at least enjoy the company of a sympathetic friend once the children were out. Hinata was not one to drink often, but Sakura was fun to have a drink with. There was no need for sparkly earrings or low cut dresses at a sleep over though. So she would slip into something a little more comfortable first. Or so she thought.

"Don't take off that dress!"

She jumped as a mess of blonde hair appeared at her window.

"Naruto!"

He slid open the glass and smiled at the look of shock on his wife's face. "Actually, I take that back. You should definitely take it off."

"I thought, they told me you had to work."

"I figured something out," he said slipping up beside her and tugging at the strap of her dress. "The kids?"

"They are with Sakura tonight. I was going to get them after you finished ogling me from the window you closet pervert."

"I am not a closet pervert!" he said, mildly amused as she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"An open one then?"

"It's than allowed on Valentines day?"

She laughed as his hand slid down her waist and hips.

"Ah!" she said expertly catching it before it reached her zipper. "A deal is a deal."

He pouted.

"First we do what I like, and then I do what you like."

It was not often his wife used that tone of voice with him. It still had an amazing affect on him. He hoped it would never stop affecting him.

"Now hurry and go shower."

He bit his lip, "Come with me?" he said kissing her neck lightly.

She smiled and arched her neck to allow him more access. "No."

He groaned and ran out of the room already half undressed. She smiled and slipped back into her dress. Turns out her pretty earrings had been right all along.

The night passed to quickly for the both of them. Days were it was just the two of them were becoming increasingly rare. She made sure to take advantage. Nights like tonight had to make up for all of the other days when she would go to bed without him, see him briefly in the morning and then not again till night again. So tonight, they talked. Well he talked a lot. There was a lovely dinner that did not involve any type of noodle, and there were a lot of stars. By the end of that evening they were both going back to the house not with a sense of finality to an evening they didn't want to end, but rather with a bubbling anticipation for the real climax of the night, in every sense of the word.

Because if she were being completely honest, the thing he liked, she liked a lot as well. They were two steps through the door before she flew at him. He was not prepared for such a forceful advance but delightfully took it in stride as he threw the leftover chocolate dessert on the counter. He hoisted her up against him and slammed the door behind them with his foot as she continued her barrage of kisses over his neck and chin.

They should probably continue this in the bedroom. But he wasn't sure they would make it all the way down the hall. She pulled off his nice shirt a bit forcefully. Oh, damn. She liked that shirt.

Whatever, she would buy him a new one for his birthday.

Her dress came off and over her head as fast as she could manage and they both stumbled against the door to their room. Her hands reached through his hair as she pulled his lips up against hers in a deep hot kiss. At the same time her legs interlocked at his waist leaving one of his hands free to "wander." It wandered towards the lace of her bra and she let out a small moan as she guided it towards the clasp in the back. He stopped.

"Oh," he let out.

She looked down at fearful look in his eyes and grimaced. Wait. She knew it had been a while (by their standards anyway) but, already?

Nope. Instead she let out a gasp and an almighty "umf," as she dropped to the floor amongst a thick puff of smoke.

~~o*o~~

Naruto gasped in the solitude of his office. Making shadow clones was a funny business. On the one hand, they are a part of who you are. You are never not linked to the shadow clones you create. You are them. But on the other hand, they are not you when they are themselves. It's a funny feeling. As much when they pop into existence as when they pop out of it. But, especially when they pop out of it, since technically everything they felt, everything they did is now everything you've felt and everything you did. A few years ago he took advantage of this unique ability to train in a way that would have been impossible by any other means. Tonight, this ability was not as advantageous.

He took in a few deep breaths and started panicking at the last thing his shadow clone had felt. Shit... shit, shit, shit, shit. This had seemed like such a good idea a couple of hours ago. Now. Now he was sure his wife would murder him tonight in his sleep. Assuming he was allowed to come home at all.

"Hokage-sama,"

He jumped at the light knock as Moegi entered the room. "Ahh! What!"

Moegi stood staring at the reddening face and hunched posture of the 7th. "Uh, the um, contractor said he's ready for the meeting, and that it shouldn't take long."

Naruto stared at the girl as the seconds ticked by on the clock over his wall. "The contractor... is here. Right."

She nodded and looked around the room, trying to decipher the strangeness of their leader's actions. He had never been quite normal to begin with, but he was acting weird even by Naruto standards.

"Um... could you ask him if he can give me just a few minutes?"

Moegi grimaced.

"I'm just. I just need to finish something really quick."

"Sure..." Moegi said slowly as she raised a brow. "It's not like Udon had the nerve to ask me out today anyway," she muttered as the door mercifully clicked shut behind her.

Naruto sighed. Damn that little lace bra... it served him right. His current situation could only be the result of some sort of divine justice or something.

~~o*o~~

The next morning when he finally showed his face back home he wasn't too surprised when he didn't find her. Bolt and Himawari had stayed over at Sakura's she had probably gone to pick them up. He could wait for her here. But then again maybe it was best to see her with witnesses, er, people around. So he headed instead to the Uchiha household. He was starting to wonder how good of an idea this really was, considering that the girls told each other everything, and that Sakura was very protective of Hinata and not above causing him grievous bodily harm. Memories of Sakura's punches began to swim through his mind and he almost missed who came to greet him at the door.

"Sasuke?" he asked taken aback, "What are you doing here?" he temporarily forgot about his wife at the site of his best friend at the door. Seeing him always made Naruto happy, in a very angry kind of way. It was complicated. But rather, Sasuke had just been here. It wasn't like him to come back so soon after a visit.

"I owed her a valentine's day," he said simply. "A real one."

"Oh," Naruto responded to the simplicity of his statement, before a mental picture popped into his head. "Ew... wait, weren't my kids here last night?"

"You underestimate my abilities dobe."

"Ew!" he said again more pointedly.

"The girls are in the living room. Bolt was in the back training."

He sidestepped his friend and nervously walked into the house, following the voice of his daughter and Sakura.

"Papa!" Himawari called out rushing at him.

"Good morning Naruto-jii" Sarada offered politely.

Naruto took Himawari in his arms and looked to Sakura who simply raised a brow at him, and then finally turned to look at his wife who was... smiling?

"Good morning everyone." He said nervously, "And good morning my beautiful flower! Did you have fun with auntie Sakura last night?" he asked snuggling against his little girl.

"Yeah! Uncle Sasuke came last night and gave us all presents!"

"Presents?"

"Yeah! He got us this fun karaoke microphone and said that we could turn it up as load as we wanted to! Nii-chan turned it up all the way! And, and, and he got us these cool music ear phones like the ones on tv! The really big ones! Look!" she said pulling them out for him to see, "Mine are yellow and pink!"

"Look at that!" he said trying to suppress the vein that seemed to be throbbing in his forehead.

Sasuke chuckled beside him.

"Naruto," Sakura cleared her throat, trying to suppress the light blush that had come over her cheeks "Since you're here, need I remind you again to get me the list for the volunteer sign up at the hospital. I told you I want to look at those names before you post anything publicly."

"Right, I know. Sorry. I keep forgetting it in my office."

"I can bring you the list Sakura. It's not a problem for me and Himawari loves coming over to visit Sarada."

Naruto gazed at his wife, cautious about her reaction, or lack thereof from last night. She seemed almost, cheery.

"Oh, that's ok Hinata. I can just go and get it if worst comes to worst. I wouldn't want to bother you." Sakura smiled.

"Oh it's no bother," Hinata said sweetly getting up from the couch. "I've grown quite accustomed to finishing up the things my husband starts... by myself."

Naruto blushed and felt his pulse quicken at the penetrating gaze his wife suddenly shot him with. Yup, she was still pissed. And he would never live this down.

"Oh, um," Sakura said somewhat uncomfortably. "Ok."

Sasuke chuckled beside him.

"Shut up you bastard!"

Himawari blinked up at her father's reddening face. "Daddy said a bad word..."

~~~*o*~~~

I was actually going to leave this off at the office scene, but I just saw this playing out in my head and had to laugh, and write it all down. I apologize in advance if Sasuke seems OOC. It wasn't my intention but, poor Sakura. She did so much for NaruHina that I had to give her something! Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review with your views on the chapter or the story. It's kind of depressing to get "favorited" and not have any feedback whatsoever. -_-