The SEAL'S Kiss
Celestia193's Author's Note: Okay, so, I know that someone has been looking forward to this chapter, and I imagine that a lot of people are going to jump for joy, and then maybe try to pull their hair out over it. But don't worry, this is just chapter 9, we still have a ways to go.
Chapter 9
It had been a few days since meeting Kurenai and now, Hinata was in a very different kind of meeting. A board meeting. Fortunately, she was used to such an environment and their board members didn't seem at all fazed by Naruto's and Sasuke's presence.
"Thank you, all for coming." Hinata smiles as she turns on the slide show. "As you see we have prepared a presentation with our most recent quarterly numbers and our largest projects this year." None of them were stupid. They had all seen the blond and Uchiha around. "Feel free to ask questions or comment if you have any concerns or suggestions." They knew that those two didn't work there and they also knew Hinata's and Emiko's relationship to the president. They were obviously bodyguards, business suits be damned.
Sasuke, of course, hated wearing a suit, even if it was a bit more on the casual side. Wearing a tie made him feel out of place, uncomfortable, even. Not that anyone would know it, considering the stoic, silent, and almost icy demeanor he showed. Attire be damned, he was here to do his job, and the gun holstered safely within the confines of his jacket was insurance for Hinata's life. Well, and to an extent, Emiko's, but she was Naruto's priority.
He had, of course, vetted every single person in this room, but he still had to be wary and alert whenever Hinata was around other people. Even the most thoroughly vetted individuals could change their allegiance on a dime. And he was not willing to bet Hinata's life on their loyalty.
The bluenette shoots Sasuke a reassuring smile. "Our primary focus at the moment is Haiti. Though Africa and South America are high priorities and we are working on expanding in Asia." He really did look like a caged tiger or sea lion in his case.
While Sasuke looked positively glacial though, she notes Naruto just couldn't keep still. "We recently received the permission for Haiti. So the work has already begun on the school there." The blond was tapping his foot an awful though. Though his orange business tie was highly distracting.
Resisting the urge to smile back at Hinata, Sasuke shoots Naruto a stern look. The tapping was annoying and served no purpose, and Naruto did it whenever he got restless. Now was not the time for either of them to be getting restless. Restless meat distracted, and distraction meant danger.
Naruto had the decency to look sheepish. "I would focus in Asia. It has a high population." Another board member objects or was it a suggestion. it was hard to tell.
Hinata didn't seem particularly upset at the interjection, whatever its purpose was. "We are expanding there, but it's new ground for us. When we initially started this foundation, it was primarily centered in Africa. Developing these sorts of ties take time." She was probably used to it.
"You wouldn't believe how much the amount of red tape varies from one country to the next." Emiko smiles at them. "Though Haiti needs the help most at the moment of our current projects. It's a matter of prioritizing." The First Lady's smile was rather disarming.
To Sasuke's satisfaction, that quiets down a few of the noisier board members, or at least the ones who looked like they were going to make some noise, and the next few questions proceed without much incident, more concerning strategizing their efforts, and looking into how to stretch their resources by sourcing the necessary materials at more cost-effective rates.
Other topics, such as foreign labor, versus local labor come up for each of the various projects, including a school, but also a hospital, fire station, and other such emergency services and buildings for basic needs. Now this much, he understood. He never like business or politics much, but he understood logistics well, moving supplies and materials, what sorts of installations were needed where, and the like. The military did, after all, sometimes get sent into disaster zones to provide aid on foreign soil.
Now, it wasn't that he hated talking about these kinds of things. They were, after all, necessary discussions, though they didn't happen nearly as often on a navy vessel. He just didn't like doing it without his team…in business suits…or with a bunch of armchair-dwelling bureaucrats. There were very few of those types that he could tolerate without wanting to rip his hair out.
Eventually, the meeting draws to a close. It probably felt like an eternity to Sasuke, Hinata muses. Though in reality, it had only been a couple of hours. "Miss Hyuga, I was wondering if you would like to discuss some of these plans in detail later on?" One of the board members smiles at her as he takes her hand in his own to stop her from darting off too quickly.
Sasuke's eyes narrow as they drop towards Hinata's hand. Now, he knew that he wasn't here to stop people from touching Hinata, or stop Hinata from touching people, but the guy just rubbed him the wrong way. He knew enough about business to know that a touch that familiar was not at all professional.
He was a man who was likely in his early thirties with amber eyes and sandy blond hair. "Well I don't mind answering any questions you have now." Hinata smiles at him. "While I'm still here. Though if you view it as necessary, you can always email me." Rather young to be on a board of well anything and Sakura probably would have considered him cute.
Ready to move the instant that Hinata made a single uncomfortable gesture, Sasuke silently glares at the man, not at all impressed with this sad attempt at charming his way into Hinata's office. If he didn't take Hinata's hint and back off, well…Sasuke knew a few ways to MAKE him get the message. But he knew he'd get nailed if he did anything to a civilian without a good reason, even if he was a bodyguard for the President's daughter. And the thought made him chafe.
"Well I was hoping we could discuss it over dinner." He smiles at her. "But alright, I suppose email will have to do. What can I say, I would have liked to have the pleasure of your company as we went over the finer details?" He wasn't a threat. The man was a flirt or a pervert. Maybe, both.
Hinata shakes her head. "I'm sorry. My schedule is rather full for the foreseeable future." She bites her lower lip. "Email will have to do unless it's an emergency."
"Of course. Well if your schedule changes, do let me know." He sighs and smiles at her as he heads towards the door. "You do have my number." Unaware that he had almost had to face one very irritated SEAL.
The icy glare doesn't disappear, even when the door closes behind the flirty moron who didn't know when to give up. Sasuke's furrowed brow and glare the only thing betraying just how much he HATED flirty morons. Well, except Naruto, but Naruto was his best friend, and…special. THAT moron was not. "If you'd like for me to make sure that someone gets the message that you're not interested, you can say so." He knew some rather effective deterrent for unwanted flirtations.
"Ensuring that he gets the message doesn't involve throwing him into the ocean, does it?" Hinata smiles at him, only half joking. "Because I believe that might be a bit excessive."
"No, because for all I know, he might be able to swim." He would likely have gone the broken wrist route. That should drive the point home that flirts and perverts weren't allowed to touch Hinata.
She laughs and smiles as gestures for him to follow her. "Funny." Well at least she hoped he was joking. "Though really not necessary."
"Hn." She said that, but one of these days, she was going to attract the attention of a more dangerous pervert, and Sasuke knew that he was going to have to send a VERY strong message regarding who is and isn't allowed to touch his charge. And the less people that did, the better.
Still, he relents a little at the sight of her smile, and follows her from the boardroom back to her office. That was a safe place, a safe space, somewhere that he could alone with her, with no physical or emotional threats to her in sight.
"Sorry about that." She shakes her head as she sits down at her desk and boots up her computer. "We can get you out of that suit now. I know how much you hate it."
"No, it's fine." He could get changed once he wasn't watching her. His feelings about wearing a suit were irrelevant. "There's only a few hours left." It would be fine if he changed at the White House after seeing her home. Then he could take his bike home.
Hinata nods at him as though deciding it wasn't worth debating. "Alright. Though for what it's worth, it does look nice on you." She smiles and begins typing.
So he'd been told. Still, he loosens the tie at least, and loses the jacket over the back of the couch as he reaches for his own laptop. The first thing his fingers start to do is take him into the file of the man from before, updating it to include a note to keep an eye on that one in case of future transgressions. Still, he can't stop the words from leaving his mouth. "Does that happen a lot?" He sure hoped not, otherwise his job was going to get a LOT harder.
"Not really. Most men are too scared of the Secret Service or my father to approach me." She shakes her head at that. "Not that I blame them and besides, I'm usually not the first one to get noticed." Click, click. More typing.
Sasuke pauses, his own hands freezing over his keyboard. "…Would you prefer that I let people approach you?" Maybe it wasn't the most innocent question, but it was a serious one, neither scathing, sarcastic, or rhetorical. Did she enjoy the attention? Was he overstepping his bounds?
"Well yes and no. I don't really want you to shoot someone who is just flirting with me." She rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "But there are some men who don't take no for an answer. So I wouldn't necessarily mind if you gave them THE LOOK." She blushes as she looks at her feet. Hinata might not actively be looking at the moment, but she didn't really want to be alone for four or eight years which was probably how long Sasuke would be watching her.
"I see." He could certainly do that, though it might be hard sometimes to resist putting some lead somewhere that would hurt. But there was still one thing that made his stomach turn a little more than was appropriate. "And if there was someone you said yes to?"
"I don't think that's going to be a problem." She sighs as she looks away from him. "There's really only one person that I would say yes to at the moment and it's...well it's not likely that he'd ever see me that way." She pauses before continuing to type. "But if I were to find someone, well...try not to send them to the ICU or traumatize them for life."
His expression softens into a slight smile. "Yes…of course." Then, he chuckles, his smile becoming a smirk. "Unless he turns out to be a foreign spy here to woo and assassinate you. Then I'd put him in the morgue." Swiftly, and without hesitation.
"What if he wasn't a foreign spy, but an all American one?" She laughs at the thought. "Would the punishment be different?"
"Depends on whether or not he cowers at the name Uchiha." They were, after all, rather famous across the federal agencies and the military. If that wasn't enough to intimidate, well… "If he doesn't, he's an idiot, or extremely confident. Maybe both."
Hinata shakes her head in amusement. "Have I ever told you that your modesty is really one of your most endearing traits?" The young woman laughs softly as she looks at him.
Sasuke shoots her a scathing look. "You HAVE met my family, haven't you? We don't exactly have a reputation for playing nice." Then again, he doubted she'd met Madara yet. "The day you meet my great-uncle, if that day ever comes, you'll understand why." The man was nuts, to put it mildly.
"I was just teasing." She smiles at him. "You should know that, but I've heard a lot about this great uncle of yours. Something about him having really long hair?"
Sasuke snorts. "Understatement. You compared me to a lion, but he's the one with the mane. If this were Japan, he'd be the clan head or something." He basically was, but in a much less formal capacity. If he talked, you listened. "But yeah, I look just like my grandfather, with that one exception. My hair sticks up like Madara's does."
She giggles at the image of a little cub nipping at the tail of a mighty lion. "Well I'm sure he's lovely in his own way. Just like you." Hinata smiles at him. "I'll keep that in mind though."
Right, lovely was NOT the way to describe the ancient Uchiha, and Sasuke didn't really feel it was a good way to describe himself either. After all, his job involved killing people. There was nothing lovely about that. "I don't really understand why you would call a man who shot three people to death in front of you 'lovely', but I suppose it's good that you get some sort of amusement out of it."
"Well...you protected me and you're willing to humor my mother looking at your baby pictures." She smiles at him. "And go dancing with me. I would prefer it if people didn't get shot, but that was self-defense..." She trails off, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed at her choice of words.
Sighing, he can't help his stiffer demeanor softening again as he glances over at her, a twinkle of amusement in his dark eyes. "I will be by your side, keeping watch and protecting you for as long as it is my duty. If that means that somehow, you end up going through my baby pictures, then I suppose I can get over something as minor as that." No matter how utterly embarrassing it was.
Hinata smiles sheepishly and nods. "Well they are very cute." She giggles remembering those big eyes. "Especially the ones when you were really little with the bubble eyes."
Sasuke's eyes narrow in an instant. "I did NOT have bubble eyes." Talk about emasculating, she was treating him like a puppy.
"Of course you didn't." She laughs. He was just so cute when he sulked. "You just had very large eyes that were completely irresistible. In no way, shape, or form does that constitute bubble eyes. I apologize."
And sulk he did, as it was far from the first time he'd denied having bubble eyes. No matter how nice her laugh was, it could only do so much to sooth his bruised ego. So, he rises from the couch, strides over to her desk, leaning over her as he raises an eyebrow. "You're getting some kind of sadistic pleasure out of this, aren't you?" It was a tactic that Sai often used on him.
Her eyes dance with undisguised mirth. "Maybe a little." Hinata couldn't quite suppress a giggle. It was just so hysterical that it really bothered him this much.
There she was, laughing at him AGAIN! It was equal parts endearing and infuriating, and it just made him want to- Damn it! Chalk it up to a brief bout of insanity, and maybe more than a little jealousy that he refused to acknowledge, but a smirk crosses his face as the perfect little plot trickles into his head. "Then maybe I should teach you better. Consider this to be your first lesson."
His hand cups her chin, holding the delicate skin between rough, calloused fingers as he leans in and presses a kiss to her lips. He was not cute he was not some puppy, and she was certainly not going to keep being cute and infuriating, and laugh at every little thing he did.
But…she was soft, her lips were silky soft, plump, and he idly notes that she smelled rather nice. It wasn't strong, wasn't overpowering, but it was the soft scent of flowers and…something else. He couldn't quite place it…
Hinata was going to ask what he meant by that, but then he kissed her. So she did something extremely reckless. She kissed him back.
His lips were warm and a bit rough. So were his hands, but she liked that. "Maybe you should give me a lot of lessons, just to be thorough." A lot. "That way the message sinks in." There was something both erotic and reassuring about it. He might have referred to his great uncle as the lion, but that was definitely what he was in her mind. There was a certain masculine sensuality to everything that he did and kissing was no exception, it seemed.
Sasuke blinks, before retracting his hand and pulling away, smirking a little nervously. "Maybe." Though her next lesson was going to involve dancing, not…that. "…I overstepped my bounds." Though he was too proud and defiant to apologize for giving in to what essentially amounted to goading. He hadn't done something so impulsive since…well, since Naruto.
She blushes and bites her lower lip. "It's alright. I kissed back and I k-kinda like it when you overstep your bounds, but of course...if you want to pretend that didn't happen, I understand." He was in a way somewhat her employee or at the very least her father's. There was no actual law from preventing them from seeing each other, but she could understand if he wouldn't want to risk Hiashi Hyuga's wrath or the media.
Well, it was true that she'd kissed him back, but for the first time in a long time, Sasuke was unsure. He was unsure that he could…overstep his bounds, and protect her at the same time. That, and it was improper, to put it mildly, and he wasn't convinced that her father would accept such an arrangement. But those concerns were secondary to that of her safety. And protecting her was a task in which he could not allow himself to fail. Because you were NOT supposed to fall in love with the person you were assigned to protect.
He backs away from the desk, his expression becoming blank. "It's better for you that we don't…" Sasuke couldn't see how it could possibly work without everything imploding. Besides, was he ready to open his heart to someone else? His team and commander were one thing…his family another…but Hinata? That…he wasn't so sure about.
"I know that it would be smarter, if we didn't." She shakes her head as she caresses his cheek. "Though I don't think it would necessarily be better, I'll respect your decision. I just have to say one thing before we pretend this never happened." Hinata laughs softly to hide her disappointment. "You did indeed have bubble eyes and goodbye!" She darts towards the office exit. "I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Damn it all!" Sasuke mutters several more curses under his breath, grabbing his jacket and laptop before racing after her. Had she forgotten that he was supposed to be with her at all times!? "And I did NOT have bubble eyes!"
He'd really stepped in it this time. His team was one thing. They all protected each other, understood each other inside and out, and worked together seamlessly. They lived their lives together, and trusted each other implicitly. There was a dynamic built on a foundation of mutual trust, understanding, and most of it was instinctual. There was no need to ever consider or examine things because it was dangerous, because it wasn't.
This…this was different. This was a civilian, a philanthropist, a soon-to-be diplomat. This was not a SEAL, not a military officer of any kind, or even a federal agent. And not only were their jobs vastly different, but she WAS his job. And that meant that for her safety, she was supposed to be off limits. She was off limits, because otherwise, he would be too distracted to protect her.
And yet…it was Saturday morning, and Hinata hadn't called him to come to the White House to start his duties for the day. So Sasuke simply lay on his bed in the guest house, staring out the window, dwelling far too much on the previous day's mistake. He never should have kissed her. And he shouldn't do it again, despite a rebellious part of him really wanting to.
She was kind, considerate, witty, intelligent…she was perfect. And she was also his charge. The first person to seriously interest him since his team, and he couldn't touch. He wouldn't go back on his promise to teach her to dance, but…it was going to be torture. Maybe he could look at it as a test of his will or something.
Maybe he should ask to switch with Sakura…
Fugaku's Paternal Instincts were tingling. Yes, those were a thing. One could just tell sometimes when their child was in pain or had done something foolish. This was one of those times.
His years in the military had honed his instincts to perfection and he trusted them. "Sasuke, would you care to tell me why you're currently sulking in a way that resembles that time Naruto switched your shampoo on you and turned your hair blond?" For a month. It had been unnerving to say the least.
Sasuke's eyes flick to the door of his room, only vaguely surprised to see his father there. "The first time, or the second?" The second had been far more recent, and Sakura had helped Naruto that time, since Sasuke had been on guard against a repeat attempt. He just hadn't expected Sakura to 'help out' while they were at the academy.
"Well both, I suppose." Fugaku shakes his head. "Does it have anything to do with a certain bluenette with an impressive political pedigree?" He was about eighty percent sure that it did. He just wanted confirmation.
Fuck. He lived in a family of geniuses who knew how to get the answers they wanted, through any means necessary. "Why would it have to do with Hinata? She hasn't called me in yet today." Sasuke was pretty sure that if he didn't answer eventually, his father would sic his mother on him. But he could at least stall until Hinata called him. She should be calling any minute, after all.
"That's exactly how I know it has to do with her." His father shakes his head. "If it didn't, she would have already done so." Hmm. Should he improvise on Executive Order 69?
Sasuke rolls his eyes. "It's Saturday. She calls me in later on the weekends." Damn it, Fugaku was pushing. Talk about a dog who knew that there was a bone. "Does it matter?"
He shakes his head. This was awkward. "Of course it matters. You're my son. Your happiness matters to me." Mikoto was better at this sort of thing than him. Maybe, he should have sicked her on Sasuke instead. "For what it is worth, well...you'll get angry with me, but I suppose that I should probably revealed some highly classified information."
Dark eyes narrow at the NCIS director. "Personally classified, or legally?" Sasuke was cleared to hear quite a bit of stuff, but there were some things that his father knew that he just didn't get to access.
"Personally." He shakes his head. Fugaku knew better than to reveal legally classified information, even to his son. "Though it is still top secret stuff."
Somehow, Sasuke didn't consider much that his father could personally classify to be top secret. "This had better not be anything to do with whatever…things you and Mom do together." Okay, he was twenty-six, sure, but that didn't mean that he WANTED to know what sorts of…positions his parents like to use. And he was pretty sure that would be considered classified information.
"Oh no. We aren't combining forces for this mission." He shakes his head and chuckles. "I love that woman, but her methods aren't subtle. No, this is more of a fatherly project." Hmm. How did he explain this. "Suffice to say, I have it on good authority that Hiashi wouldn't mind if you were to pursue Hinata romantically, as long as it would be a romantic relationship only between the two of you. No...whatever you called your love nest with your team."
"…Say what now?" Sasuke stares at his father incredulously. "You can't be serious." He wasn't seriously suggesting… "I'm her bodyguard, not her boyfriend. I'm there to protect her, not seduce her." Well, than dancing lessons aside, but she was the one who wanted them in the first place. "And no, it's not a love nest. Besides, I'm not…I'm not with them anymore."
"I know you're not with them anymore and believe me, I made that perfectly clear to Hiashi." He nods as if this knowledge was supposed to reassure Sasuke. "If you have feelings for her, but you're hesitating because you're worried about what the president will say...then I just felt it was important to inform you that you need not factor that into the equation." He pauses and add. "If you don't have feelings for her of course, well then this is all moot any way."
"You think this is some kind of movie? One where the president's daughter falls in love with her bodyguard, and they ride off into the sunset?" Sasuke turns his eyes away, back out the window. "Yesterday, I wanted to break someone's wrist because they were flirting with her when she didn't want them to. If I let anything develop out of yesterday, who's to say I would still be able to do my job without snapping? That I would be alert enough to keep her safe?" Because he knew from experience that when he got protective of someone,of a lover, he could snap in a fit of jealousy. And something like that wasn't going to protect Hinata.
When he put it that way, it sounded a bit silly. "Well I suppose it could be. Though the fact you were that jealous indicates you do have feelings for her." Fugaku sounds rather pleased with himself for deducing as such. "Sasuke, I think that you're the sort of person that would protect a person because it's their job, but you do it better when it's someone you care about."
"And if I did?" He glances back at his father, eyes filled with worry, and just a hint of fear. After all, no one was ever truly immune to fear, not even him. "If I did, and I failed in my job, what then? If I let anything come of yesterday, and it turned out that I couldn't protect her from whoever it is that sent those assassins, what do you think would happen?"
It was a worst-case scenario that he'd never even considered with his team, because they all knew how to protect themselves. They were strong, smart, and very well trained. Hinata just…didn't have those advantages. She was soft and sweet and gentle. It's why he was there to protect her. But if he fell in love with her…and then lost her, he wasn't so sure that he could recover from that. The guilt alone would eat him alive until there was nothing left.
"Sasuke, that is a possibility whether you love her or not." Fugaku sighs as he looks at him with concerned eyes. "And even if you weren't her body guard, loving anyone is a risk. Even going outside to get the mail could result in someone getting run over by a car. Love or even just caring at all, comes with some degree of risk whether it's great or small."
"Yeah…I know." And not just for those reasons, but because he was a jealous and possessive lover. And anyone who touched what was his…well, they did so very much at their own peril. The kiss yesterday was supposed to be something of a joke, to throw her off balance, and level the playing field. But it seemed that rather than leveling it, it completely rearranged it, and Sasuke was still getting his bearings. "…I'll think about it."
He nods at Sasuke. "Well it seems that you have at a minimum the better part of four years to think about it." So there was no real rush. Though if the jealousy already existed to that degree, he imagined he'd be a grandfather sooner rather than later.
Four years, huh? Maybe longer. But…Sasuke knew that he was far from the most patient person, unless he was staring through the scope of his M82 sniper rifle. The rest of the time…all bets were off, really. And when he got particularly impatient, which he was working hard to improve on, he got almost as reckless as Naruto.
Could he really stand it for THAT long?
Ino was visiting the White House after a rather interesting summons from her best friend. "Alright, Hinata, spill it. What's got you losing your mind?" She was almost certain that it had to do with Hinata's sexy bodyguard, but she had to know for sure before making her outlandish theories known. After all, she wasn't an idiot! She just really liked to gossip.
Hinata still couldn't believe what had happened. "The SEAL kissed me!" Hinata flails in shock. She had actually been kissed by Sasuke! She had to tell someone and that someone had turned out to be her best friend. Ino.
Ino's eyes widen, then she smiles slyly. "So I guess you went to the aquarium, then?" Ino laughs. Yeah right, like THAT would be the cause for Hinata's shock.
"Not that kind of seal! The OTHER kind!" She grumbles. Of all the times for Ino to be oblivious to romance, she had to choose now?! "Sasuke! The Navy SEAL! Not the cute, furry animal!"
"I knew it!" Ino's hands shoot into the air as she does some sort of happy dance on Hinata's bed. "You two have way too much chemistry for it to stay platonic!"
Hinata blinks at the happy dance. "Um yeah." A little disturbed by it to be honest. "Though he's...obviously hesitant about it. He is kinda my employee in a way." And Sasuke was clearly worried about how their personal relationship would impact their professional one.
"Well of course he is! It's just like in the movies!" Ino could almost feel herself swooning. "A forbidden romance between a knight and the princess. Or a bodyguard and the president's daughter. It's romantic and dangerous!" And ever so dramatic. "He's probably holding himself back to protect you!"
"Well that's true." Though she really hoped Ino didn't gush like this in front of Sasuke. "I just had to tell someone. Don't...let him know that you know."
"Of course not!" Though that didn't mean that Ino didn't want to see the fireworks. And already, her mind was turning over with ideas. "Okay, then I have an idea!"
That was mildly terrifying. "What's your idea?" It could truly be anything, knowing Ino.
"Two Fridays from now, invite him and his team to go clubbing with us." Not that Ino thought that the SEAL would stay home and leave Hinata out in the open like that, but how easily he gave in would show just how deep his feelings, or his sense of duty, went.
"Oh. I'm not sure he'll go for that." Though the bluenette suddenly felt a tremendous sense of relief. "I'll ask him though." Thank goodness that was all Ino wanted.
"Perfect." Then that meant it was time for Ino to start picking out an outfit. Because she was going to look nothing less than stunning in front of Sasuke and his friends. "Make sure to dress to impress, Hinata, Sasuke needs to really want to dance with you."
She nods at that. "I know." Well at least Ino wasn't actually laughing manically. Yet.