The SEAL'S Kiss

Silver's Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Well the fathers had their chance to plot. So now now the mothers get their chance to meddle. The polyship is referenced here in passing. As stated previously, this is firmly a Sasuke x Hinata story. Any prior romantic relationship that either of them have had are in the past. Happy reading.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to Celestia having some technical difficulties, there will be no new updates of this story until Monday. We've been trying to update this once a day, but well I'm sure everyone understands how modern technology can be fickle sometimes.

Chapter 7

Hinata was currently sitting on one of the lounge couches. "How long do you think we need to stay before we can sneak off without it seeming horribly improper?" She smiles at Sasuke.

It was far too fairy tale like. Dancing with the handsome prince so to speak. Sasuke did come from a 'royal family' in a way. So did she. "My feet are killing me." She looks around to make sure no one else was looking at them and slowly slides the heels off, slowly rubbing her feet and the calves of her legs in a slow fashion. Not realizing it could look rather suggestive to someone who had just finished a round of rather intimate dancing.

"Well, seeing as it's YOUR charity ball, I doubt that skipping out early is an option since you and your mother have a speech to make in fifteen minutes." Sasuke's eyes flit around, determinedly NOT looking at Hinata's movements too closely. "But I'm sure that no one will begrudge you the need to sit down and take a break."

"Oh right." She sighs as she rubs her calves more, trying to ease the throbbing. "The Speech. Yes, of course." The Speech was always very important! "Can't miss that." No matter how badly her legs hurt.

Sasuke eyes the rubbing, sighing and shaking his head as he picks up her legs and places them in his lap, fingers working softly at the muscles that he knew from experience would be hurting the most. "You're not used to dancing that much, are you?"

"Usually I do three or four dances in a row at most." Hinata admits with a blush, though was soon sighing in contentment at his ministrations.

That made sense, Sasuke was just more used to using his muscles like that than she was. "The heels are a bit higher than normal dancing shoes, so that likely didn't help. But if you're going to be dancing, you should get in more regular practice." He pauses, frowning slightly as he massages out a particularly strained muscle. "And maybe diversify your repertoire a bit. It's hard to get by in ballroom dancing on just a couple of waltzes."

Hinata was currently in heaven at the moment. "Y-Yeah. Diversify sounds good." Though she probably would have agreed to almost anything, if it meant he continued the foot-rub.

Sasuke snickers at the reaction. "Think of it like an extra-curricular activity. Dance lessons. Itachi forced me into them, but I think you'd like them."

"Do they come with complimentary footrubs included or was this a one time offer?" She closes her eyes and relaxes as the pain melts away thanks to his very talented hands.

He blinks, fingers still moving instinctively. "I suppose that depends on the teacher. Mine was very thorough, especially when I was just starting out." Plus, he'd been thirteen, so she'd had to be careful not to strain him too hard until he built up the muscles needed to dance properly. "It's hard work, though."

She nods in understanding. "Well I meant you." Hinata smiles at him as if it was obvious. "You could teach me...seeing as we're already spending every day together any way and it'd probably be more entertaining than just watching me do paperwork."

That was true, and it would help to keep Hinata safe if he was teacher but… "Are you sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable. And I'm not exactly a professional dance instructor."

"I don't care about that." She smiles at him as she gets up. "As long as you can keep me from falling on my ass, that's good enough." The bluenette tilts her head to the podium. "I have to go give my speech now."

Sasuke nods slowly. "Alright, I'll be here, making sure nothing happens." After all, nothing was going to happen to her on a stage in front of hundreds of people. Not with four Navy SEALs in the room. They could discuss her dance lessons later.

Mikoto smiles as her friend returns to their table from the stage, her husband long since dragged off by some old admirals looking to talk to him about federal business. "Your daughter is blossoming into quite the impressive young lady. Her passion for her cause is shining brightly."

"Oh thank you." She smiles at her. "So has Hanabi as well." She rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Just for the cause of beauty, I suppose." Though she really should return the compliment. "And your sons have both grown into fine young man. Who can even dance."

"Yes, Sasuke pretends to hate it, but Fugaku and I know the truth." And Mikoto could see that Sasuke certainly liked dancing with Hinata. He always had bee picky about partnering with anyone for anything. "It seems that Hinata is enjoying his passion for dancing. And a therapeutic massage. Her feet must be aching after all that dancing."

Emiko blinks. "I understand her enjoying dancing with a handsome young man." What woman wouldn't? "Though when did massage enter into the equation?" She must have missed that!

Mikoto snickers at her friend's obliviousness. "When she and Sasuke left the dance floor, he gave her a massage to soothe her sore feet. She seemed to be enjoying it greatly." She points towards Sasuke and Hinata's table, where the two of them are sitting close, talking in hushed voices. "And have you missed that the two of them match rather well? I wonder just who was responsible for THOSE fashion choices?"

"Oh, well that was kind of your son to tend to her feet." Emiko sighs as she looks at Hinata's heels. "Only one woman besides Hanabi could make Hinata wear shoes like that. Ino." She pauses and elaborate. "She's Hinata's best friend and likely behind the matching outfits as well."

"Ino…?" Now that name sounded familiar. It was in one of Sasuke's reports, wasn't it? Mikoto had taken a look at them, helping Sasuke to compile information through her contacts at the CIA. "Stylist? Works here in DC, not far from your office?"

Emiko nods her head in confirmation. "Yes, that's Ino." She wasn't even going to ask how her friend knew. "You're a little scary sometimes." She used to be in the CIA. There was very little that Mikoto wasn't capable of finding out. "You know that, right?"

The former interrogator giggles. "Yes, it seems that Neji is the only Hyuga not daunted by our information-gathering skills. I suspect that has something to do with being so attached to Itachi. He's grown used to it."

"Yes, perhaps that's it." She nods. Those two were entirely too close for it to be purely platonic. "Well, as you were saying, my friend?" Though that was a matter for another day.

Mikoto's grin returns. "Hinata and Sasuke look rather…comfortable with each other, don't they?" Extremely so, considering that Sasuke was touching the girl far too much for it to mean nothing. "And they look so cute together."

Ohhh. So that's what Mikoto was getting at. "Well yes, they do look quite cozy." And her friend was right, they did look cute together. Imagine the grandchildren!

"And Sasuke seems quite taken with her." Mikoto's eyes sparkle as she sees Sasuke touch Hinata again. "He's being quite physical with her. My baby usually reserves that much touching for his closest friends and family." Yes, those two would give her beautiful grandchildren, since she wasn't expecting any from the very career-oriented Itachi and Neji.

"Yes, he does appear very affectionate with her and it was nice of him to humor Ino's request for matching outfits." Emiko doubted that had been Hinata's idea! "Being nice to a woman's friends is a good sign."

"Indeed it is, since it looks like he played nice enough for the girl to get him in the chair." Mikoto was so happy that her little boy had dressed up so nicely, though. It had been a very long time since she last saw him in anything but occasional casual clothes, or a navy uniform. "She has very good taste, though, the two of them look marvelous. And they're getting along marvelously as well." That still left one question, though. "Sasuke is stubbornly professional, and your daughter strikes me as shy, which means that even if they gravitate towards each other, they won't act on their feelings immediately." It was vexing, very vexing.

Emiko tilts her head. "I see. That's true." She nods thoughtfully as an idea occurs to her. "It seems that our husbands are already meddling though. Is that why Fugaku took her out for pancakes?" Wait. Was her husband plotting without her?!

"I believe that their motivation was simply to confirm whether the two had romantic feelings for each other." Though Mikoto was rather annoyed when Fugaku only smiled on refused to tell her what his conclusion was. Not that it mattered, she could see the truth for herself right now. "Obviously, the conclusion is yes, or at least, the seeds of it are there. Emiko, what do the two of them do while they are at the office?"

"Well most of the time, they just focus on their respective tasks." She nods as she considers the question. "When they do speak though, it's cordial and Naruto was kind enough to send us many childhood photos." Such a nice boy! "So Hinata and I had a grand time looking at them."

Now THAT sends Mikoto into a fit of laughter. "You saw the photos!?" Oh goodness, Sasuke must have been so embarrassed. "Did you see the photos from his dance lessons? He was so cute when he used to pout and deny liking the dancing, but sometimes I would sneak in and take photos when he didn't think anyone was watching. It was so sweet how passionate he was about it." She still had an entire secret album of them. "For a while, I thought he might decide to become a competitive dancer, but he chose the military…"

"Oh yes, we saw the dancing photos." She smiles at that. "They were adorable, but poor Sasuke was so embarrassed." Still those bubble eyes had been even more adorable. "He was such a cute child too!"

"Oh I know, he was actually mistaken for a girl when he was small." It was something that both amused and thrilled Mikoto. After all, she always did want a girl. "It's why he's so embarrassed about liking dancing."

"Oh I didn't think he looked like a girl in any of the pictures." Emiko shakes her head at that. "He had such adorable bubble eyes though."

"Yes, yes he did…" It was a shame, really, Mikoto loved her son's bubble eyes. There was only a hint of them that remained, and only when he smiled and laughed, not something that happened often. "And little boys can be quite silly and mean. After all, Sasuke was simply the most beautiful boy in his class, so they felt the need to point it out."

Emiko nods in understanding and smiles at Mikoto. "Well I'm sure that every mother feels that way, but he really was so cute. Can you imagine his bubble eyes, but with Hinata's color?" She mentally squeals at the cuteness!

"And his dark, spiky hair with her natural blue highlights?" Mikoto squeals as well, but not so internally. "But first, we need to get them together. And for that, Sasuke is going to need to blur the line between being a professional, and being a passionate person who actually listens to their feelings."

"Well that shouldn't be too hard." The Hyuga woman shrugs. "If I remember correctly, you've told me that Fugaku was equally as...straight laced?"

"And THAT is precisely why its going to be very hard. Sasuke is even more stubborn than his father, and I had to flash Fugaku a LOT of leg in order to break his shell." Enough leg to model a whole line of heels, actually. It's a good thing that Mikoto had mastered the art of walking in heels. "Hinata doesn't strike me as the kind of girl to employ the rather bold methods that I did."

Emiko shakes her head as she considers that. "No, you're right. Though she is wearing a rather flattering dress, most likely for his benefit." Even if Ino had suggested it, it still counted in her mind.

"So, what we have is one shy charity organization's executive, and one dedicated, professional, stubborn as a mule Navy SEAL. Now how do we…" Mikoto's brain nearly fizzles out, before a genius solution comes to her. "Vodka!"

"Mikoto, I do occasionally enjoy a drink as much as the next socially responsible drinker as well, but I never drink vodka." She knew that was a 'hard' drink. "That's really strong stuff."

Mikoto shakes her head. "It's not for us. Sasuke has a talent for holding his alcohol, and his favorite is vodka. He doesn't drink it often, since he refuses to drink while on duty, unless it's with Hinata, and there's champagne involved. And even then, he won't drink much. But if we could get just a little vodka into him, just a few shots…" It would be enough to get him tipsy, but not drunk. "He gets quite frisky when he has vodka, according to Naruto and Sakura."

Emiko loved her friend, but she was glad Mikoto wasn't her mother. "That poor boy never got away with anything with you and Fugaku as his parents, did he?" The teenage and university years would have been particularly interesting. "Though isn't it wrong to...try to tip the scales with shots?"

The retired agent rolls her eyes at her friend. "Do you have a better way of convincing my hard-headed son to give your daughter a chance at opening his heart up again? Because my son is about the only one who can out-stubborn my husband." And whether that was a feat Sasuke was proud of or not, Mikoto wasn't sure. Either way, it was EXTREMELY vexing.

"Well...I know that it's an awkward conversation, but do you know where his preferences lay?" She blushes slightly, unable to believe she was asking this. "Your husband seems to be a leg man...for example?"

Mikoto pauses a moment, frowning at the thought. "Actually…no. After all, Sakura is a woman, and Naruto and Sai are both men, so I'm not entirely sure what he does or doesn't appreciate. Perhaps…it's the quality of what is there? Maybe the entire aesthetic?"

Emiko blinks at that. "Did he join the damn Navy or the Love Boat?" He had dated all of his teammates? "Never mind. Well Naruto seems the most open about such things, maybe he would know and tell us?"

"Yes, I think that Naruto would certainly tell us." Mikoto eyes the boy dancing with the pink-haired SEAL. "Though my husband is rather fond of calling it a love nest. I do have to wonder how they made a bed large enough to support all four of them, though."

"L-Love Nest?!" It was one thing for Sasuke to be involved with them at separate times, but all at once?! "I feel...a little light headed! Mikoto, I do hope that you aren't under the impression that Hinata would be interested in such a nest." Why was the room spinning so much?!

"No, of course not, but it's hardly an option, seeing as Sasuke ended his part in it quite some time ago." Mikoto sighs wistfully. "I'm not sure why, he won't tell any of us. But it was something that made him happy, so I don't understand why he stopped." She shakes her head. "Anyway, Hinata seems to be good for him. Maybe it'll work out this time."

Emiko had no idea how to respond to any of that. "Well I suppose we could arrange what I call a Lingerie Incident." It always worked on her husband.

"Oh?" Now that intrigued Mikoto. "And exactly how would lingerie play this part in bringing the two children together?"

"Well we just arrange for him while she's getting changed." She pauses and clarifies. "It has to be timed so she's in her lingerie. If she's completely naked, she'd probably faint from embarrassment and that's not particularly sexy."

She had to admit, there was more than one way to make a man frisky, and while Mikoto wasn't entirely sure if it would work on Sasuke, who had likely seen plenty of women in nothing but their underwear before, it was worth a shot. "Now…how do we make that happen? Does she change at all at work? I can't imagine that Sasuke would barge into her bedroom for any reason, so I couldn't see THAT working."

Hmm. Yes, that was more difficult. "Um on second thought, maybe just a day at the beach would be easier. Bikinis are rather similar to lingerie?"

"That might work…" Mikoto frowns, thinking hard. "Would Hinata wear a bathing suit that is sufficiently revealing? One pieces aren't generally all that sexy." Well, with some exceptions, but those were rather special ones. She had a few in her own closet for beach days. After all, she may be in her fifties, but she never lost the curves that still very much entranced her husband.

"Well if Ino nagged her into it maybe." Maybe, vodka would be easier. "Though your method while a bit underhanded might be best."

Mikoto nods, always thinking back to the vodka option. "I would suggest that we recruit Naruto and Ino for this mission. After all, those two seem to have the most interest in finding their friends a significant other. They have rather special access to our children that we would not, at least not without raising suspicion."

Well that certainly did make sense. "Perhaps, not knowingly though." The more people who were involved the greater the possibility of a leak.

"Yes…perhaps simply benign encouragement, then?" Mikoto's mind began racing with possibilities. "Although, a beach day could be good…if we bring vodka." If nothing else, it might convince the two to at least kiss a little.

"Alright." She giggles. "That sounds like a fine plan." Hmm. Now as for Hinata's suit. "Perhaps we girls should go shopping for new suits?"

"An excellent idea." Everything seemed to be falling into place. Especially as Mikoto's eyes twinkle at the sight of Sasuke and Hinata taking to the dance floor again. "Tell me, does Hinata know how to dance the tango?"

"Well perhaps she could muster a basic verison." Emiko nods at her. "Though I'm aware there are far more advanced ones."

"Then perhaps we should suggest to her that she try learning some of the advanced forms." Mikoto's smile widens. "They're Sasuke's favorite."

Well Emiko couldn't see how that would hurt. "Yes, let's." She smiles at the thought.

Sasuke smiles at Hinata, noting that her footwork has gotten smoother, just over the course of the evening. "Are your feet hurting again yet?"

"Not yet." Hinata blushes and smiles. "Your massage really helped."

"Good." He didn't like seeing her in pain. Pain was not something that suited Hinata. "So tomorrow morning, go through the list I gave you and decide which dance you want to learn first. You should probably do some research beforehand to make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into with each one. Alright?"

Hinata laughs at that and nods. "Yes, Professor Uchiha." He was giving her homework, she muses to herself as she dances in his arms.

Sasuke smirks. "More like drill sergeant, but I suppose I can work with professor for now. You'll see the error soon enough."

"D-Drill sergeant?" Now, her mind was firmly back in the gutter.

"Yes, because sometimes you have to be very FIRM with people." To prove his point, Sasuke turns them around sharply as the music changes. Though for some reason, Hinata was blushing and stuttering again. The girl was quite easily flustered.

That comment was really not helping her get her mind back to more appropriate locations! "W-Well that makes sense." Sasuke was a master at unintended innuendo.

"Alright, but don't worry, I'll be a gentle drill sergeant just for you." He chuckles softly. "Well, unless you need serious corrections. I've been told that I can be rather merciless."

"G-good to know." She was sure her face was burning bright red now. "I'll be sure to do some research on dances tonight." Did he really not realize what he was saying and how it could be taken the wrong way?

It was very interesting how Hinata could turn so many colors. So, while arranging the fourteen different shades into a spectrum, Sasuke goes back over everything he's said in the past two minutes, before suddenly feeling the urge to facepalm. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean it like that." That's why she was blushing, right? She thought he was flirting. "I'll stop talking, if that makes you more comfortable."

She shakes her head. "No, it was my fault." Apparently, being single for about six months was reeking havoc with her mind. "I knew that you didn't mean it THAT way..."

Still, Sasuke goes quiet, the smile fading from his face as the dance comes to a close. "The night is almost you like to go home?"

"Home would be best." She blushes as she looks at her feet. "You didn't do anything wrong though. So I don't want you to feel that way." Hinata just didn't want to make an even bigger fool of herself.

"Alright." Sasuke motions towards the huge doors of the ballroom, leading Hinata back outside to the limo, where he pens the door for her. His motorcycle was still at the White House, but he could just change there before riding home.

Hinata follows him and quickly gets into the limo. She didn't know what to say exactly. Sasuke now knew that she had taken his innocent comments in a not so innocent fashion and things felt awkward.

The ride is quiet, neither of them saying much of anything until they arrive at the White House. But, as usual, Sasuke is out of the vehicle first, holding the door open and carrying the two bags with their earlier clothes in them. "Hinata."

"Yes, Sasuke?" It was as if he felt as flustered as she did, in his own way.

Holding out her bag as he escorts her to the front door of the White House, he nods slightly. "I'm going to change here and head home. But I'll see you in the morning."

She nods at that. "Are we still on for dancing lessons?" Probably not, but she'd ask anyway. "i really didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable.

Sasuke narrows his eyes at her. "You think you're getting out of them so easily?" A small smirk quirks his lips. "You have homework to do. The torture can wait until tomorrow." And, shaking his head at her, he lightly pokes her forehead. Now he could see why Itachi did it whenever his brother was calling him foolish. There WAS a certain satisfaction in it.

"Yes, Professor." She laughs and sighs in relief t hat he wasn't angry with her. "Good night."

The smirk softens into a smile. "Goodnight, Hinata."

Standing before his master in the dead of night, Fu makes his report. "Sir, it appears that Hinata Hyuga was escorted home by limousine by a young man with black hair and eyes, greatly resembling Senator Itachi Uchiha." He pauses a moment. "Similarly, Emiko Hyuga was escorted home by a blond man, Hanabi Hyuga by a pink-haired woman, and Neji Hyuga by a man who greatly resembles…your grandson, Sir."

Danzo's eyes narrow at that news. "So it seems that Sai's team was assigned to watch them." That would make things difficult. Very difficult.

"Yes, Sir. Which would reveal the other three to be Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha, Sir." It was not news that Fu wanted to deliver. "All Navy SEALs, Sir."

"Well it seems as though things had just gotten unexpectedly tricky." He wouldn't kill Sai. He was blood. "Do what has to be done, but spare my grandson unless it's absolutely necessary." Danzo would make accommodations…within reason.

"Of course, Sir." Fu retreats from the room, disappearing back into the darkness from whence the assassin came.

It was a shame that Sai refused to see reason. "I could overlook him joining the Navy." At least he'd acquire the necessary skill sets there. What he couldn't overlook was him getting in the way of things.

"I'll have to try to get him out of the way as accidents are arranged for his teammates." He wasn't going to let four SEALS stop him from what needed to be done. He had waited for far too long for this to allow such a thing to happen! "After all, all is fair in love and war and this is war." There were bound to be some causalities.