"I can't thank you enough." Destiny smiles widely, hand resting against the front door frame for support as she peels her four year old off of her leg. I giggle and shift the baby in my arms to my right hip.
"Anytime. Weasel, darling! Please get the little one?" I glance back at my criminals, who have created a line behind me to watch the little kids run around ruthlessly.
Itachi steps forward and crouches down, peeling the little boy off his mother's leg, and standing. His arms carefully wind around the little boy's body, limiting his flailing arms' movements and ensuring that he doesn't fall. Destiny blows them all a kiss, waves to the Akatsuki, and I close the door behind her.
The little boy in Itachi's arms lets out a loud wail.
"Trade!" I hold the baby out to Itachi and take the four-year old. He holds the baby carefully, as if he's held one before, and starts to the other room so she doesn't start crying. "Hey," I huggle him to my chest. He buries his face into the crook of my neck, little hand clenched into a tight fist with the material of my shirt inside. "Why are you crying?" I rub his back, voice playful. "You don't want to play with us?"
He's sobs begin to slow down into little sniffles.
I lean in and whisper in his ear. "Do you want to play tag?"
He leans back, little green eyes widening. He sucks on his first two fingers, drool sliding down and coating the two digits with the sticky, slick clear substance. He nods swiftly and I grin. Carefully, I set him down. "Everyone outside!" I allow his free hand to slip into mine. Clara, the ten year old sits on the couch beside Alice, watching tv. Itachi hands her the baby and joins us as well.
"Okay, so names first. Tell everyone your name so we don't get confused when someone gets out."
"I'm Tammy." The eight year old, a little black haired girl with brown eyes smiles. Her twin rolls his multicolored eyes, the left green and the right brown, at her squeaky little voice and waves slightly. "I'm Travis."
I look to the four-year old attached to my hand. "And you?"
He tugs on my hand, pulling me downwards. He leans forward and whispers in my ear. "William."
"William." I smile, ruffling his shaggy brown hair, and stand. I look to the ninja, confirming that they heard. They all say their names loudly and clear, and Kakuzu smacks Hidan upside the head when he adds an explicative. Pein and Sasori actually came outside, to my momentary shock, and Konan stayed inside to play with the baby. Zetsu and Tobi are upstairs, hiding so they don't scare the children.
I purse my lips and look around the Akatsuki.
"HIDAN!" I shout, pointing at said male, "YOU'RE IT!"
And we all scatter. The twins squeal loudly and rush towards the bushes. I hold William's hand and usher him forward, dimly hoping Pein or someone will make Hidan give us a fair chance. Glancing back over my shoulder, I see him catch my eye and smirk deviously. And then he disappears.
"Shi-oot." I scowl, remembering the four year old's presence.
"Up we go."
I yelp. Kisame holds me in one arm, clutching me to his chest like I'm a football. He holds William in his other arm, in much the same fashion. The little boy looks up, little mouth falling agape. For a moment, I fear he's going to scream and begin to cry.
"Whoa." He says softly.
I smile.
Kisame chuckles. We rush through the woods at the speed of a ninja, the leaves and branches around us blurring into one large greenish brown color. After a few moments, Kisame slows to a stop and gingerly sets me down. He puts the kid down beside me and ruffles his hair. "We should be good for now, Hidan went after Deidara." Kisame glances around the woods, as if double checking.
"Poor Deidara." I shake my head and William takes my hand again.
A loud, ear splitting shriek bursts through the air. Everything stills around us and my blood runs cold. Hiking William up onto my back, I take off running full speed towards where I think my house is. I'm no ninja, so Kisame keeps up easily. We trek through the woods, Kisame helps me move faster over the horrid terrain, and burst through the edge of the trees just in time to see Hidan get slapped by Itachi. One of the twins, Tammy sobs into Deidara's chest, and the other is helping Itachi beat Hidan-which is actually pretty amusing.
"What happened?" I breathe heavily as I approach Deidara.
"Hidan scared her, un." He rubs her back comfortingly, swaying softly on his feet. My heart stops at the sight. Deidara looks...almost like a father. Hugging her to his chest, rubbing her back, calming her down easily. I find myself smiling widely, watching the sight.
"Alex?"
I tear my gaze away from Deidara and look over to Itachi, who gestures down at Hidan. My lips curl back into a wicked smirk and I pull William forward. Following my lead, he leaps with me onto Hidan's fallen form-causing the silverette to howl painfully. I giggle, sitting on his stomach, and William laughs, sitting on his chest. Travis rushes forward to join us and plants his booty right on Hidan's face. Deidara walks over with Tammy, lowering her carefully into my arms. Tammy giggles lightly, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Uh, oh." Travis pauses in his laughter.
His features narrow, little eyes squinting and lips scrunching together. Tammy catches her little brother's look and gasps.
"Oh no! He's gotta poot!"
I die. Hidan begins to squirm beneath Travis, trying to free his face before the kid farts, shouting obscenities. I almost fall off of him, laughing so hard that I can't breathe or see straight. My stomach hurts and my lungs burn something fierce. I gasp for air. Everyone else around us laughs as well, no one moving to Hidan's aide.
"FUCKER GET OFF!" Hidan screams, though the sound and words are muffled.
"Travis..."I gasp through my laughter. "Don't..."
The little boy huffs, climbs off Hidan's face, and then promptly decides to cut the cheese. I fall off of Hidan, rolling onto my back so Tammy isn't squished. Tammy lays on my stomach, eyes squished shut and lips parted in silent laughter. Deidara pulls William off of Hidan, before the silverette can punt him across the clearing, and Hidan sits up.
"Shut the fuck up! It was gross!"
"Stop cursing, Hidan." Kakuzu growls.
"Make me, fucker!"
A smirking Itachi helps me up, a strong arm winding around my waist to keep me standing. I lean into him and continue to die. I can't understand why I find this so funny and, yet, I can't stop laughing. William giggles happily, wiggling out of Deidara's arms to high-five his big brother. Kisame scoops them both up and throws them into the air. They squeal loudly, like little pigs, and my shark catches them with a skillful ease. He sets Travis on his shoulders and William on Pein's, who smiles faintly and reaches up to tickle the four year old. With the children distracted, Kakuzu and Sasori proceed to drag Hidan's protesting form into the woods so they can properly behead him.
Deidara walks over to me, grinning. "Who's it, yeah?"
I grin. "Travis and Kisame are it!"
We limit the running to the clearing around my house, so the kids don't accidentally stumble upon Hidan's bloody form and Sasori and Kakuzu. Deidara takes Tammy out of my arms and sets her on his back, using his ninja skills to escape Kisame and Travis. I run as if my life depended on it-which, it kind of does considering the blood thirsty shark likes to target me since I can't move as fast. But as soon as someone else is thrown into the mix, or crosses our paths, he changes targets for a little while.
It's a lot of fun.
"Oh my Jashin, I'm pooped." I fall back onto my bed with a soft thump, the soft mattress sinking in beneath me. Deidara chuckles and pushes me to my side so he can climb in beside me.
We shift and move until we're both comfortable. I lay on my back, one leg thrown around Deidara's. He rests on his side, blue eyes locked on my face, which is angled towards him, and an arm bent in the small amount of space between us. Dimly, I think back to his dare...to kiss me and about how amazing it was.
"Have you ever wanted kids?" I ask him, more out of curiosity than anything else.
Deidara looks momentarily stunned at the question. I guess it's because we've only just met and I'm already asking him about the possibility of babies in the future. Only, I want to know because I wonder if any member of the Akatsuki has thought about it before. About settling down, possibly in a village, and having a family.
His blue eyes soften. "When I was younger, yeah."
"You wouldn't want them now?" My eyes widen slightly. Why would he want kids then, but then change his mind now?
He lifts his hands and wiggles his fingers playfully, the lips of his hand-mouths twisted into a small smile. "Bloodline limit, un. I don't want my children to go through the same thing I did and, with being in the Akatsuki, I can't guarantee I'll be able to be there for them. Plus, I haven't found the one yet, yeah."
My lips break out into a grin. "Awah! That's so sweet! I never thought the Akatsuki actually looked for someone like that! I thought you guys could just have anyone you wanted and didn't care."
"That too, yeah." He smirks cockily.
