Metal's eyes were wide with wonder as he gazed at the bright lights and intricate decorations of the the festival.
There were so many lanterns that one could almost forget that it was nighttime. The hanging lanterns were everywhere, lighting the streets and guiding you to the many different booths that dotted the streets.
The stalls offered all kinds of different entertainment; games to play, masks and other goodies to buy, and food stands that all smelled so delicious that it was hard not to buy something from all of them.
It was so much to take in, Metal's little eyes darting from one booth to the next as he clutched his mother's hand tightly, staying close to him to avoid bumping into someone. There were so many people, all of them dressed in beautiful summer yukata - much like Metal and his family. Their yukata were green, almost the same shade as their jumpsuits, and decorated with blooming flowers.
Lee smiled down at his son, holding his hand tight so as not to be separated from him. The little one was only five after all, it would be easy for him to become lost in the crowd.
"What would you like to look at first?" he asked curiously, encouragingly. Metal almost seemed too intimidated by the number of people to make a move.
Guy piped up as well with a broad smile, "You wanna go play a game? You can win some fun prizes!"
Metal finally pulled his gaze away from the bright lights and decorations to look up at his parents with a hopeful smile. "Will you play with me, Papa?"
"Of course I will!" Guy exclaimed jovially as he leaned down to pick up the little one and sit him on his shoulders. "Come on, Metal. Lets go find something fun to do!"
The child squealed with giggles as he was lifted up so high, his eyes lighting up. "Yeah!" Metal cheered in return, holding Guy's hands tightly to stay steady on his shoulders.
Lee laughed as he followed after his husband and son, smiling lovingly at their backs. It felt wonderful being out with his family and just enjoying the festival. He and Guy had been taking alternating missions like crazy lately to get some extra money, and that had, of course, resulted in the three of them not getting to spend as much time together.
It had been really hard on all of them to lose so much of their family time, but because of all those missions they now had plenty of money to thoroughly enjoy the festival and buy Metal almost anything he wanted. Well, within reason of course. As far as Lee was concerned, they had earned a little time to indulge.
Before long, Metal found the stall that offered goldfish scooping and excitedly begged his parents to let him try. Within moments, Metal was carefully dipping the little scoop into the water.
Guy smiled as he explained to Metal how to do it, that the paper netting would grow weak and break if he didn't move quick enough, but also that being too careless with it would cause it to break even more quickly.
However, for all Guy's understanding of the game, he was having a rather hard time successfully scooping up a fish. He went through several scoops and a handful of money, before finally managing to scoop up one fat little goldfish, much to Metal's delight.
The stall's owner placed the chubby, black fish in a bag, tied it up tight, and handed it back to the family with a bright smile. After a few friendly words of congratulations, he turned his attention back to his other patrons and the family left.
Metal was smiling brightly as he gazed up at the little fish as it swam back and forth in the plastic bag that his mother was keeping a tight hold of. "What should we name him, Momma?"
Lee chuckled, "You should pick, he is yours now. But remember, you have to take care of him to make sure that he will live a long, happy life."
"I know, Momma. I will take good care of him!" Metal promised with a sweet smile before returning his gaze to the fish. "Hmm... he is really fat..." After a few seconds of thought he was suddenly overcome with giggles, covering his mouth with his hands to muffle them.
Guy, who was walking on Metal's other side and keeping a hold of his hand, chuckled, "What's so funny?"
The boy had trouble speaking between his giggles, ending up falling into another fit of them. Finally, in a hushed tone, he said, "We should name him Choji."
That made all three of them laugh, but Lee couldn't help but gently admonish the little one. "That is not very nice, Metal." he said, even though was still chuckling.
"Sorry, Momma." giggled the little one with a sweet smile before turning his attention back to his fish.
The chubby little thing was completely black save for the gold highlights of his scales, which became brighter toward his fat stomach. He was like a little moon in a black sky.
He perked up and smiled hopefully up to his parents. "Can we name him Moon?"
Lee smiled. "Of course. Moon is a cute name."
With his fish named and more game booths in sight, Metal quickly decided that he was ready for more fun. He pulled his parents along from booth to booth. Some of the booths were easy enough that he won the prize he wanted, others he got something he didn't like, or nothing at all. Either way, he was having a blast, and Lee and Guy couldn't ask for more than that.
After one last game booth, Lee smiled at his husband and son. "It is getting late. We should stop by the food booths and get some dinner before we head home."
Guy agreed, but Metal pouted pathetically as he plodded along between his parents, hugging the stuffed animals he had won from the booths. "But we did not get to go shopping... I wanted to buy an Anbu mask and one of those pretty lanterns."
Lee smiled softly. "We will stop by a few shops on our way to the food booths." he assured softly. "But we cannot take too long. It is already long past your bedtime."
Metal smiled happily. "Okay!" To be honest, he was ready for dinner and bed after he bought his mask and lantern.
They walked a little farther before coming to a mask shop. It had all kinds to choose from; oni, tengu, masks that were clearly inspired by the nine tailed fox, and others that looked like Anbu masks. Those were the ones Metal was interested in. He had his eyes on an Anbu mask that looked something like a cat face, but he seemed very tempted by a wolf one too.
Guy smiled as he watched the little one browse, before leaning over to speak to Lee. "I'm going to go get us some dinner while he looks. I'll be right back." he said before placing a kiss to Lee's cheek.
"Thank you, sensei." Lee said as he watched his husband go for a few seconds before returning his gaze to their little beast, who had set his stuffed animals down and was trying to make up his mind. He appeared to be comparing the two masks very carefully, his eyes narrowed in deep concentration. He seemed oblivious to the other children browsing the masks with him.
"That your boy?" asked a friendly, aged voice.
"Yes." Lee replied with a little chuckle as he turned his attention to the elderly man running the booth.
The man had grey hair, and his face showed the signs of his age, but he had a very kind smile that almost made you feel as though you had known him for years.
He chuckled. "It's not hard to tell, he looks just like ya!"
He chuckled at that as he glanced back to his son. "He is just like both of us." Lee mused, carefully avoiding saying anything about who Metal's father was.
It wasn't at all that Lee was embarrassed or ashamed of his relationship with Guy, or of the way they had brought Metal into the world, but mentioning it usually made people uncomfortable and turned the conversation awkward. He didn't want things to be uncomfortable between all of them since Metal would be buying a mask from this man in just a few minutes.
Metal was completely unaware of their conversation as he focused on his masks, trying to decide which one he wanted. He wanted both of them so badly, it was hard to choose!
"Hi!"
The sudden exclamation made Metal jump, his eyes darting up to find a boy who appeared to be a bit older than himself, maybe eight or nine. He had long blonde hair put back in a pony tail, big blue eyes, and was wearing a bright red and orange yukata and an even brighter smile. He definitely looked friendly.
Metal smiled sweetly, replying a little bashfully. "Hi."
"My names Ichiro. What's your name?" he asked with a curious smile.
"My name is Metal. It is nice to meet you." he said politely, as his mother had taught him.
The blonde chuckled a little. "You talk kinda weird." he teased playfully, laughing when Metal looked completely confused.
"I do not. I talk like Momma talks." he said firmly.
Ichiro grinned. "Really? That's kind of weird."
Metal pouted. "It is not weird. Momma says it is more proper to talk this way."
"It seems kinda stuffy." mused Ichiro bluntly.
Metal blinked, looking bewildered again. "Stuffy?"
"Yeah, ya know, kinda old fashioned. That way of talking is seriously outdated." he chuckled.
The little one frowned in confusion, not really understanding what this kid was talking about. "I like the way Momma talks." he said as he glanced over his shoulder at his mother, seeing that he was engaged in conversation with the old man who ran the booth.
Ichiro followed his gaze curiously before giving a grin. "Wow, you look just like your dad!"
Metal blinked and looked back at the older boy. "That is not Papa. That is Momma."
That made the older pause in confusion, staring at Metal for a few seconds before looking back to Lee. He squinted, staring intently at him for a few seconds. "...You mean that's a girl?"
The younger shook his head as he replied simply. "No."
Ichiro was now the one who looked totally confused as he returned his gaze to Metal. "Then, isn't he your dad?"
Metal shook his head again. "No, he is my Momma. Papa is getting supper."
They both just stared at each other for a moment, looking confused. Finally, Ichiro awkwardly broke the silence with a chuckle, "Riiight..."
The boy grinned as he looked at the masks in Metal's hands, strategically changing the subject. "Those are cool masks. My dad was an Anbu." he said as he motioned to the Anbu masks in Metal's hand.
His eyes widened in wonder, their previous conversation forgotten. "Really?"
"Yep! He got to keep his mask too. It's hanging on the wall in his room. It looks like an owl's face." he said as he turned to look at the masks. "If I was an Anbu, I'd want a mask that looks like that. But, they don't have any here... What would you want your mask to look like?" he asked, turning a curious smile back to Metal.
The little one thought about it for a second, looking at the masks in his hands and frowning in concentration. "Maybe a kitty... Or a wolf... Or a turtle!"
Ichiro busted out in laughter. "A turtle?!"
Metal nodded quickly. "Turtles can be ninja too! My Papa's summon animal is a turtle and he is mean!"
The older boy was still laughing when he replied, "Really? Can he fight?"
Metal twisted his little face up in thought. "Well... I have never seen him fight before... But I am sure that he can. He is a scary turtle. He yells a lot."
He laughed again. "You're a funny kid."
Metal giggled before returning his gaze to the masks in his hands. He still couldn't decide which one he wanted for sure... It was so hard to choose, they were both so cool!
Ichiro stepped forward and looked at the masks with a hum of consideration. After a few seconds, he took the kitty mask and held it up to Metal's face before then doing the same with the wolf mask. He scrunched up his face as he compared the two masks to Metal's face, narrowing his eyes. "Hmm... I dunno... They're both really cool. It's too bad they don't have a turtle one." he teased with a chuckle.
Metal peeked out from behind the masks with a big smile. "I would get a turtle one for sure!" he laughed.
Lee smiled to see that his son had made a friend, watching them faintly.
The older man smiled warmly. "How old is he?"
"He just turned five last month." Lee answered with a smile as he returned his gaze to the older man.
The man's eyes lit up at that and he smiled broadly. "Really? Well, tell ya what, he can have one of those masks for free then."
Lee's eyes widened in surprise. "No no, you do not have to do that."
"I want to." he chuckled. "Just consider it a late birthday present."
Lee smiled softly, still looking unsure. "That is very kind of you... Are you sure you do not want a little money for it?"
"No, it's his. That way he'll have some money left if you decide to come back tomorrow. There's still plenty more festival to enjoy, don't want him to run out of money." he chuckled kindly.
The taijutsuist smiled warmly and gave a little bow. "Thank you very much. I must find some way to repay your kindness."
The old man just shook his head with a grin. "You can repay me just by enjoy the rest of the festival with your son. Make sure he has a great time. You always think you'll have more time with them." The look in his eyes changed, growing sorrowful. "Then you turn around and they're gone forever..."
The way the man spoke made a deep sadness grip Lee's heart and he stared at him in quiet surprise. Gone forever..? What did he mean by that..? The young taijutsuist tried to tell himself that the elderly man just meant that children grow up quickly and are gone before you know it, but the ache in his heart firmly told him there was much more to his statement than that. It was as though he had lost his child to more than just the flow of time...
The thought of losing Metal, of having him taken away forever by some unknown enemy or force, shook Lee to the core. He wasn't sure he could handle even thinking about it.
Lee had to take a small, steadying breath to keep tears from welling in his eyes. "I will. I promise." he said softly. He felt like he needed to say something more, but he didn't know what.
"May I ask your name?" he asked softly.
The elderly man smiled kindly. "It's Konosuke."
"Thank you very much for your kindness, Mister Konosuke." Lee said before giving another bow.
The old mask maker chuckled. "Please, don't bother bowing to me. I'm just an old mask maker."
Lee smiled softly as he stood up straight again. "It is the very least I can do..."
It was then that Guy returned with three large bags of food in his hands. "I got us plenty to eat! We should hurry back before it gets cold though." he said with a bright smile.
Lee smiled at his lover as he nodded in agreement. "I will get Metal."
He turned to see their son still talking with his new friend and smiled rather sadly. It was a shame to break up their fun. "Metal, Papa is back with dinner. Come pay for your mask so that we can go home."
Metal drooped a little. "But I have not decided which mask I want..." he said sadly.
"Mister Konosuke said that you can get one of the masks for free as a birthday present." Lee explained with a smile.
Metal's eyes widened with excitement. "I can get both of them then?"
"Yes, but you need to pay for one of them."
Ichiro smiled brightly. "Why didn't ya tell me it was your birthday?"
Metal shook his head. "Well, my birthday was last month."
"Happy late birthday then!" he said with a grin.
Metal smiled and started to reply, when Lee called for him again.
"Metal, come on sweetie. Tell your friend good bye." he called with an apologetic smile.
The little one drooped a little and called over his shoulder, "Okay, coming Momma." He returned his gaze to Ichiro and captured him in a tight hug. "I have to go. It was really nice to meet you." he said with a sad smile.
Ichiro grinned as he pulled back from the hug. "It was nice meeting you too. We're coming back tomorrow, maybe we'll see each other again." he suggested.
"Yeah! See you tomorrow!" he giggled, hurrying to his parents' side after picking up the stuffed animals he had set down.
Lee smiled warmly as he petted over his son's glossy hair. "What do you say to Mister Konosuke?"
Metal smiled sweetly as he offered his money to the old man. "Thank you very much."
He chuckled kindly as he took the offered money. "You're very welcome, young man. Enjoy your masks."
"I will!" Metal quickly put on the cat mask as they started away from the stand, smiling up at his mother despite the smile being hidden.
"I am an Anbu." he stated in a serious tone that Lee was certain was meant to be menacing.
"That makes you the youngest Anbu in history." he said in mock amazement as he knelt down to lift the little one up onto his hip before following after Guy as his husband led the way home. He had to hold Metal with one arm since he was still keeping a hold of Moon's bag with his other hand.
Metal giggled. "I am an Anbu commander! All enemies of the Leaf Village fear me!"
Lee and Guy smiled happily as they walked side by side, playing along with Metal's little game. It wasn't long, however, until the little one started to fall quiet, going more and more limp in his mother's hold.
The night was getting late, and it was obvious that Metal was exhausted.
"Poor little thing." Lee chuckled softly as he cuddled the almost sleeping child. "He had so much fun today, he tuckered himself out."
"And he'll get to have more fun tomorrow when we bring him back." Guy stated with a broad grin.
"Hopefully he will find his little friend again too." said Lee as he walked closer to his husband.
Guy smiled in agreement. "Maybe they will. I'm sure they'll be looking for each other." he mused, getting a chuckle of agreement from Lee who looked down at their now sleeping son. As he looked at his son, who's face was still hidden beneath the mask, Lee's mind wandered back to what Konosuke had said.
"You turn around and they're gone forever..."
A shudder shot up Lee's spine and he tightened his hold on Metal protectively, his eyes narrowing softly. No one would take Metal from him. He wouldn't let his little one's life be cut short, he would sacrifice his own life before he let that happen.
Guy glanced at Lee when he noticed his sudden silence, growing concerned to see the fierce look in his eyes and the protective way he was holding their son.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly, moving closer to Lee as his eyes scanned their surroundings for danger.
The younger snapped out of his thoughts, looking up at his husband. "Nothing, it is just... something Mister Konosuke said."
Guy blinked in confusion. "Konosuke? ...The man selling the masks?"
"Yes... He told me to enjoy the rest of the festival with Metal and make sure that he has a lot of fun... I think that he lost his child a long time ago..." he said softly, not turning his gaze away from the sleeping Metal. "He sounded so heart broken... I just cannot imagine what I would do if -..."
"Don't." Guy said firmly yet soothingly. "That won't happen. I won't let anything take him away from us." Even the thought of something happening to Metal made a cold emptiness open up in his heart. If he thought about it too much Guy was certain he would lose his appetite...
Lee sighed softly and nodded. "I know. It just... made me think of how terrible it must be to lose your child... It is awful. No parent should ever have to bury their child..."
Shifting the bags of food into one hand, Guy reached out to wrap his arm around Lee and pull him close. "That won't happen to us. I swear that to you." he rumbled soothingly into Lee's ear. "We're both strong enough to keep Metal safe until he's strong enough to protect himself. You have nothing to worry about."
The tension melted out of Lee's body after a moment and he sighed, giving a little nod. "Yes, you are right." he agreed before smiling up at his husband softly. "I am sorry that I let it worry me so much."
Guy chuckled at that. "We're parents. We're supposed to worry. But, anyone who would dare to even try to hurt Metal should be more worried." Guy mused, a grim warning hiding behind his smile. "They don't call us The Beasts of the Leaf for nothing."
Lee's confident, determined smile returned as he gave a curt nod of agreement. "Right. If anyone so much as tried to hurt him..." his gaze returned to their little one, and though his smile softened, the warning in his voice remained, "you and I would tear them apart."
Metal was completely unaware of the serious conversation taking place, already dreaming of tomorrow's adventures. He dreamed of the new prizes he might win, of the fun games he might play. But, most excitingly, of maybe getting to see his new friend again.
I hope you all enjoy this one. I'm sorry it wasn't uploaded last Thursday, I got sick and couldn't finish it. I hope it was worth the wait.